


The Life & Times Of Katie Beth Spencer

by MissMeggie



Series: KB Verse [3]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Co-Written, Death of a Parent, F/M, Father's Day, First Dates, Fluff, Gen, Helping an abuse victim], Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Marriage, Menstration, Other, Protective Dad, Puberty, Single Parenting, Song fic, Sophie and Parker as mother figure, Stealing, birds and the bees, father daughter relationship, horomones, multiple prompts, pldjumpr6 on ff.net, prompt collection, repercussions of the past, walking down the aisle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 18:17:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4635378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMeggie/pseuds/MissMeggie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katie Beth Prompt Collection</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What do you do?

AN: Ok so I know I haven't finished Rise yet but I promise I will I just wanted to get the prompt fic off the ground I feel like there is a lot I can do with the characters So, Why not try this feel free to PM me Prompts with any pairing as long as it fits in my KB 'verse I don't do Slash sorry! I only own Katie Beth! Its unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine Enjoy!

This is in response to pldjumpr6's question of how Eliot explains what he does for a living to his daughter!

Eliot hates school projects, always has.

"So, Daddy What is it that you do exactly? Don't worry I'm going to lie and say you're a race car driver for my paper but I wanna know for myself."

Eliot looked over his shoulder at his daughter sitting Indian style atop the kitchen table she was starting to grow into a real beauty all coltish limbs and big blue eyes. She was an odd combination of her surrogate mothers today she was dressed similar to Parker in gray yoga pants and black tank top complete with that messy side braid thing Parker did, that Eliot had never quiet mastered. Though she spoke with Sophie's propriety and moved with her grace. In truth it kinda freaked Eliot out how much she was like them and how she was least like Tana. "You shouldn't lie and get off the table, that's what chairs are for."

"But Dad, I can't say my dad protects people and get an A."

"Are you sure you're only eight?"

" Last time I checked." she got down.

"Smarty pants, but that is what I do I help and protect people."

"You mean you beat people up and steal things, for good like robin hood but still you always say stealing is stealing no matter the reason. Can I stir the veggies?"

"Yes, How do you know what I do?"

"I'm not stupid Daddy. You get lots of bruises and are always helping Parker and she admits she's a thief.

"Ok, So I protect the crew and use violence as an appropriate response to do it."

"Ok, but why?"

"It's what I'm good at I didn't have the best parents your Nana is great but she put a mean man with a drinking problem before her kids. I learned to defend myself so he wouldn't beat me anymore by the time I was a grown up I was fairly fearless and Someone said no one can steal that…weather it was a baseball card or a person I did it. I stole it because I could because they'd dared me or paid me a lot of money. Mostly I did those things beat people up took things because I was good at it I liked it. Made me feel powerful."

"But its stupid to do something dangerous because someone dares you." she stirred the veggies.

"Yes it is I was young and dumb."

"So you did it cause you wanted to before right?"

"Yes."

"What's different now why do you help people now?"

"Mostly because of you. God blessed me with you so I'm just trying to pay it forward the best I can."

She walked over hugging him around the waist placing her head on his chest. "Either way I'm proud of you and I'm glad you're my Daddy."

"Well thank you." he kissed the top of her head. "And I'm glad you're my Katie Beth, go tell the others dinner is ready."

"Okay." and off she went Eliot smiled in spite of himself "I'm just glad she didn't ask if I've killed anyone." he muttered to himself shaking his head.


	2. You Pricked Me With Your Needle (But I Won't Bleed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie learns of Tana's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is Pldjmpr6's work not mine...if any more of you would like to take a shot at writing Katie Beth verse just please notify me!
> 
> A/N: This is my first chapter for 'The Life and Times' drabble series but I'm super excited about it and really happy that Miss Maggie saw fit to allow me to participate. I've got several more that are coming and would love to hear your thoughts so review you lovely people! And don't forget to check out 'The Mr. Mom Job' and 'Rise and Rise Again Until Lambs Become Lions' which are the other pieces of this series. Enjoy!  
> Title: You Pricked Me With Your Needle But I Won't Bleed  
> Prompt: Breaking the News of Tana's death to Katie  
> Age: 9

oooOOOooo

Eliot and Katie always had breakfast together during the week. The rest of the team was not quite accustomed to the early starts required by a fourth grader. And while Eliot had gotten all the way up to three hours of sleep a night with his daughter around, he was still awake most of the time.

So both he and Katie were a bit surprised when Hardison burst in on their usually peaceful breakfast one morning, wide eyed and out of breath.

"Hey Eliot, I need to talk to you."

Eliot glanced up at the hacker, and then went back to his eggs. "Hardison, I gotta take Katie to school in like five minutes. Can it wait?"

"No, Eliot, it's um," his eyes dropped to the little girl, "it's important."

Eliot narrowed his eyes, sensing the hacker's urgency. He was shifting on his feet, his eyebrows raised expectantly as he jerked his head toward the door.

Eliot looked at his daughter. "Hey, I'm gonna go talk to Hardison for a minute, you'll be alright in here?"

Katie snorted, shoveling another spoonful of cereal into her mouth, one of Parker's habits she'd picked up, much to Eliot's chagrin.

"Yeah Dad, I think I've mastered the whole 'feeding myself' thing by now," she quipped, never looking up from reading the back of the cereal box. Over the years she'd grown used to closed door meetings and conversations that stopped when she walked into the room. Hardison's request was just another day at the Leverage offices to her.

Eliot nodded and followed Hardison out into the hallway that had been built to join his apartment to Sophie's. Katie was almost as likely to run to the grifter if she had a problem as she was to her father these days.

"What is it, man?"

"Remember a few years ago when Kaitie came to stay with you, you asked me to keep an eye out for Tana?"

"Yeah. Did you find something?" Eliot felt a knot starting to form in his stomach. All these years without a peep from his daughter's mother. He could hardly stand the thought that the relative peace they'd been enjoying was about to end.

Hardison handed Eliot his ipad, a news article had been zoomed into on the screen, "I think you better read this for yourself."

Eliot took the device and read a few lines. His eyes locked on the grainy photo joining the small blurb, "when did you find this?"

"My crawlers picked it up this morning. They're not sure about the identity, they're asking for any information anyone might have," he waited a beat, "You gonna go?"

Eliot sighed, running a hand through his hair, "yeah. I can't tell Katie unless I'm sure, and I won't be sure until I see it for myself."

Hardison nodded, "I thought as much. I got you on a 9 o'clock flight for today. Should be able to make it there and back in one day."

Eliot nodded, surprised at how close to upset he actually was. He never really liked Tana, didn't respect her as far as he could throw her, but still. She was still Katie's mother. Still gave his little girl her odd uneven ears and that funny hiccup noise she made when she laughed too hard.

What was he going to tell Katie?

"Thanks Hardison," Eliot gave him back his computer, "I'll take it from here."

oooOOOooo

When Eliot returned from dropping Katie off at school he met the team in Nate's living room going over some files for a new client.

"Hey, Nate I, um, I'm gonna need the day," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staying near the door, "got some business I need to take care of."

"Eliot, is everything alright?" Sophie said, drawing some dark hair behind her ear, "you seem…tense."

"Yeah. Everything's fine. I just, uh…I need the day." He looked at Nate, "I'll be back this afternoon sometime."

Nate's gaze traveled over him a moment, and Eliot could feel an assessment when he was subjected to one so he made an effort to meet the man's in eyes and look more certain than he felt.

"Yeah," Nate nodded, "fine. We can handle this."

Eliot dipped his chin once and looked at Parker, sitting cross-legged on the couch beside Sophie.

"Parker, can you pick Katie up from school for me?"

"Yeah," the blonde nodded, "no problem."

Eliot sighed and turned to leave. He heard a soft thump of feet hitting the floor as he reached the door and a pale hand laid across his on the doorknob.

"Eliot," Parker said softly, "are you sure-"

"I'm sure Parker." He glanced over her shoulder to Hardison. The hacker stood beside the tv screens, a subdued, understanding look on his face.

"I'll be back this evening at the latest."

He dropped a quick kiss to her lips to reassure her and opened the door, disappearing before anyone could say another word.

oooOOOooo

When Eliot got back it was nearing six o'clock. He let himself into Nate's apartment, since that was usually where everyone could be found if they weren't on a job.

Sure enough, Nate and Sophie were sitting at the kitchen table arguing over the answers to a cross word and Hardison sat on the couch playing a video game on the big screen.

Hardison looked up and Eliot gave him a small nod. The hacker didn't seem to know whether to be relieved or upset.

Relieved because that constant shadow looming over their shoulders, the possibility that Tana might come back and try to take Katie away, was gone.

But at the same time he was a little upset because he loved that little girl like she was his own. And he knew from experience it didn't matter how close you were to your parents, it still hurt to know they were gone. Like a chapter of a book that was closed before you even got a chance to read it.

"Eliot, you're back," Sophie said upon seeing the hitter. Her brow wrinkled slightly in confusion when he appeared to be in the same state now that he had been when he left. She'd expected him covered in bruises after a fight or two, judging by how tense he had been that morning, "did you take care of your 'business'?"

"Yup." He answered simply.

Eliot sighed and looked around, knowing he was only putting off the inevitable.

"Where's Katie?"

Nate leaned back in his chair, also puzzled by the hitter's behavior. The tension across his shoulders and mouth said 'fight'. But the subdued tone and words said 'talk'.

Only Katie could confuse Eliot's emotions so thoroughly.

"She went rock climbing with Parker," he supplied.

As if to prove his words the door opened in that moment and Katie came bounding up to her father, a million-watt grin on her face.

"Dad! Dad, I beat Parker to the top today!" She was dressed in climbing shoes, shorts and a tank top her gear slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah. No wonder your dad calls you 'Monkey'," Parker came in behind her, ruffling the girls' hair and leaning in to kiss Eliot. When he didn't respond the way she expected she pulled back with a frown, "you okay?"

Eliot just nodded, "yeah. Fine." He looked down at Katie, "hey. Let's go for a walk, huh?"

Katie wrinkled her nose and frowned, "I haven't done my homework yet."

"S'alright. You can do it later. I need to talk to you."

Katie's smile fell away completely. She wasn't used to him being so serious. Not with her.

"Daddy, is everything okay?"

Again, Eliot nodded, "Just come on."

She glanced at Parker, then Sophie and nodded, "let me go change my shoes."

After she'd gone, Sophie stood up from her chair and took a few steps toward him.

"Eliot, what's goin on? You're starting to freak me out."

"Tana's dead." He said finally, and turned to look at the team. "Hardison came to me this morning, I flew out to New York to be sure. It's her," he shook his head in disgust. " She OD'd on Heroine last night."

Inside, he felt his stomach doing flip flops, terrified by the overdeveloped 'what if' part of his brain that had started growing the moment his daughter came to stay.

What if Katie had been there with her instead of safe with him? What if Katie had seen Tana do drugs before? What if she'd introduced his daughter to junkies and drug dealers? What if…

He shook the thoughts from his head. 'What if' didn't do anyone any good.

"Dad. I'm ready." Kate came back into the room, looking at each adult in turn. Seeing the looks on their faces were varying degrees of disbelief and uncertainty she sidled up close to her father, seeking the comfort only his arms could provide.

"Daddy? Why does everyone look so upset?" she asked quietly.

"C'mon, Monkey," he kissed her head, "lets go."

oooOOOooo

"Katie what do you remember about your mom?"

They'd gone to the park around the corner from their building. It was a nice inner city sanctuary, dotted with trees and picnic tables throughout, a nice little pond lined with benches and a sidewalk sat in the center.

As they walked, Katie balanced on the benches, jumping across the gaps easily while Eliot walked beside her.

"Um, I don't know," she shrugged, "she smelled nice. Good hair," she paused, "she didn't like to be touched."

"That all?"

She shrugged again and started to answer when she stopped suddenly.

"Why?"

Eliot turned around and her eyes widened in horror.

"Are you sending me back? I don't want to go back, you can't!" she started to shout, already crying, "I don't want to go back!"

"Hey hey," Eliot reached out to grab her by the shoulders and enfolded her in a tight hug, "why would you say that? I'm not sending you away. Ever."

Katie pressed her face to his shirt, "but-"

"No. You listen to me," he said forcefully, "You're mine. And I'm yours. That's it. That's forever, Katie. Nothin's gonna change that." He tightened his arms around her to punctuate the point and waited until she'd stopped crying before pulling away. They sat down on the bench and she snuggled into his side.

"Why would you think that, baby?"

Katie shrugged, wiping her nose on her sleeve, "I don't know. You're always saying how your job is dangerous and that around a bunch of thieves is no way to raise a little girl. I-I just thought that-"

"No," he shook his head, his lips pressed against her hair. His eyes fell shut, "no, Katie."

He sighed and sat back, shifting to pull her closer.

"Listen. I got some news today."

He stopped, but she could tell there was more.

"What? What is it?" Katie asked, not liking the way he was staring at her.

"She's gone, baby. Your mom," he said gently. "She's dead."

"Oh." Katie looked away, "oh."

She sat up out of his arms and stared at her converse shoes.

Eliot watched when a few moments later, she stood up and started to walk away, allowing her a little bit of breathing room before he followed. Hell, he needed some room too.

"You okay?" he asked after he'd caught up to her and they had been walking side by side for almost an entire lap around the pond.

Katie nodded, a long brown ponytail bobbing against her back. "Yeah. Yeah I guess so."

"You sure?" he asked, and glanced at a passer-by and their dog, "'cause it's okay if you're not."

Katie pursed her lips, thinking a moment, "no I think I'm alright." She shrugged, "I still got you."

Eliot smiled and squeezed the hand Katie had slipped into his.

"True."

She nodded, her tone growing a little lighter, "And I got Parker and Sophie. I can talk to Sophie about anything."

He frowned, "you can talk to me about anything."

Katie raised an eyebrow, "you really want me coming to you with questions about bra sizes Dad?"

Eliot choked and coughed at the nonchalant mention of things he'd rather not think about, "you're right. You have Sophie."

Katie grinned and started skipping along beside him, "lets head back, I'm hungry."

"Spaghetti sound good?"

"Um, duh! It's only my favorite!" She pumped her hands into the air, "I'll race you home!"

Eliot did. And feeling particularly indulgent, he even let her win.

oooOOOooo

Late that night, after the team had gone home and she was in bed, Eliot peaked in through Katie's bedroom door.

Like he always did, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and then crossed the always neatly kept room silently.

He stood beside her bed, watching her breathe for a moment before reaching out to gently brush her bangs off her forehead. At times like these his chest ached with how beautiful and innocent and young she looked.

As he turned to leave he caught sight of the picture on her bedside table. It used to be where she kept the only picture she had of her mother, one Eliot himself had taken so long ago he didn't remember where.

Now, where that picture once sat, was one of the team at her last birthday party, all huddled around a birthday cake, grinning like idiots. And in the middle of it all sat Katie, a toothless grin on her face that lit up the world.

Eliot started to leave when something snagged on his shirt and he turned around.

"Katie Beth? I thought you were asleep." He sat down beside her on the bed, his fingers automatically carding through her hair.

"I can't, um-" her voice was unnaturally thick and when he tilted his head, he could see tears standing in her eyes, "can I please sleep with you tonight?"

Eliot felt the air rush from his chest. He'd been afraid this would happen.

Katie was more like him than either of them usually admitted. And just like him, she'd learned to try and bottle up her emotions and put on a tough face.

And just like him, at night and in the dark was usually when those emotions surfaced.

"Of course you can, baby," he whispered, and Katie sat up to throw her arms around his neck. Eliot stood, allowing her to wrap her legs around him, and carried her to his bedroom the way he hadn't in years. She was bigger and it was more awkward to maneuver down the hallway now than it was then, but her arms were locked around him to tightly he couldn't bring himself to coax her off.

Parker was staying at her own place that night, girl's night with Sophie, and he settled onto the large bed with Katie only, pulling the blanket up and over her shoulders to keep her warm.

"I'm gonna miss her," her voice cracked as she whispered into his ear and Eliot rubbed circles on her back.

He nodded, "I know."

She sniffed and he could feel her trembling with the strain of keeping a hold of herself.

He closed his eyes, "let it out, baby. I've got you."

After a moment, she did.

And Eliot held her until the sobs waned and her breathing evened out in sleep. He was not surprised when she put on that same brave face the next day, and laughed and joked with the team as usual. But Parker seemed to understand when he asked her to stay at her own place for a while.

Katie followed him down the hallway to his bedroom for a while after that. Snuggling up into his side and shedding a few tears each night, mourning the loss of someone she never really knew, but felt the pain of losing all the same.


	3. My Daddy Can Beat Up Your Daddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: My Daddy Can Beat Up Your Daddy
> 
> Prompt: Alyssa Lies by Jason Michael Carroll  
> Age: 6
> 
> A/N: Tata is French for 'auntie' & again this is by pdljmpr6 please review!- Life & times writing team

oooOOOooo

Katie always helped Sophie with the dishes after dinner, Sophie washing and rinsing, while Katie dried and set them aside to be put away. And while usually this ritual was filled with laughter and talking, tonight the young girl was uncharacteristically subdued, and it had Sophie worried.

"Hey," Sophie began after they'd spent almost five minutes in silence. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Katie just nodded, two long brown braids bouncing against her shoulders as she did so, "uh-huh."

The grifter pursed her lips, dunking a few glasses into warm soapy water, keeping her tone light and casual. "Because you seem a bit off, sweetie. You know I'll listen if there's something you want to tell me."

Katie took the next dish, sitting cross legged on the counter so she could reach the cupboards, but just sat it in her lap, wrapped in the towel, fiddling with a loose thread.

"Katie?" Sophie asked, becoming alarmed. "What's the matter? Do you want me to call your dad?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder, wondering where Eliot had gone.

Katie took a deep breath and looked up at Sophie, "I'm confused, Tata."

Sophie's brows knitted together slightly and she moved to closer, brushing Katie's loose bangs out of her eyes gently. "What is it sweetheart?"

Katie looked pained, anxious blue eyes staring up into Sophie's concerned brown ones unyieldingly. "Aren't you supposed to keep your promises, Tata? Always."

Sophie started to smile and answer, 'yes, of course', but something in the girl's eyes made her stop. Something deep and turbulent that made her want to consider her answer first.

"Well, usually 'yes'," Sophie began, choosing her words carefully, "but sometimes…well I suppose people ask us to promise them something, but in the end, they would be better off if we didn't keep it."

She frowned, unsure if she had explained herself well enough, "do you understand?"

Katie bit her lip and nodded, dropping her eyes back to her hands. The pink nail polish Sophie had painted on her the day before was beginning to chip.

"Katie?" Sophie asked slowly, "what's bothering you?"

Before the little girl could answer, Nate, Haridson and Eliot came back into the room from wherever they had been, arguing loudly over something Sophie didn't even want to hazard a guess about.

Eliot tossed one last jibbing remark toward the pair as they went toward Nate's living room and he started toward the kitchen.

"Hey Monkey, time for bed," he smiled at his daughter, unaware of the serious tone of the conversation he'd interrupted.

Sophie took a step back, knowing the Spencer Bedtime Ritual was not to be trifled with. But both adults were surprised when, instead of hopping down from the counter like she usually did, Katie put aside the towel and cup and held her arms out to her father.

Eliot frowned, glancing quickly at Sophie, who looked mostly concerned. He hesitated, usually a stickler for insisting Katie act like the 'big girl' she was. But her strange behavior, coupled with Sophie's worried look, Eliot found his usually firm resolve softening and he stepped forward, allowing the girl to wind her arms and legs around him.

He was surprised by the force of her grip and sent a short look to Sophie.

What's going on?

She raised her eyebrows with a slight shrug.

I have no idea. 

oooOOOooo

A half hour later, Katie sat Indian style in her bed. Her hair was still wet from her bath and she held her favorite bedtime story book in her lap, fiddling slightly with the corners of the pages while she waited for her father to come tuck her in.

Eliot appeared in the room in sweatpants and a tank top, his hair also wet after his shower, and settled in beside her on the small bed, one foot on the floor for balance as he drew his arm around her shoulders.

"So, you gonna tell me what's been bothering you all day?" He asked after a few minutes.

He felt her tiny shoulders get tense and waited.

"Not s'posed to."

Eliot's brow furrowed slightly and he looked down at the top of her head, "what do you mean?"

Katie shifted against him. "I promised I wouldn't say anything."

Eliot's stomach flipped. That didn't sound good.

"Promised who?" he asked carefully. If someone was threatening his little girl at school he was going to tear them limb from-

"Alyssa."

Eliot's thoughts stopped short. "Your new friend at school?"

She nodded slightly and folded her knees up to her chest, tossing her book aside.

"You know you can tell me anything, Baby." Eliot assured her quietly, his stomach was still in knots, seeing Katie so upset, but the violent impulses had died down to a manageable level. At least until he could figure out what was going on.

"Did she do something?" He asked, when Katie stayed quiet.

She shook her head.

Eliot paused, "is she in trouble?"

Katie hesitated and then shrugged one shoulder.

Frowning, he moved around on the bed until he could see Katie's face. When she looked up at him he saw tears in her eyes, it scared him more than he'd expected.

"Katie Beth what's going on?" He asked again, his voice quiet and tense. All his internal alarm bells were going off. Something was wrong.

Katie swallowed hard and dropped her knees down again, folding her hands in her lap.

"Alyssa's really nice," she began slowly, picking at her chipped pink nail polish to keep from looking at him, "but today we were outside playin' and she reached up for the monkey bars and her shirt came up a little. And I saw somethin'."

Eliot waited. "Saw what, baby?"

Katie's eyes remained downcast but her hands reached out to touch Eliot's shoulder, "these."

Eliot looked down and saw Katie gingerly touching the deep purple bruises on his right shoulder and upper arm.

And the violence rejoined the knot in his stomach.

"You saw bruises on her?" He asked, intentionally keeping his voice low and even, not wanting to scare his daughter by shouting the way he wanted to.

Katie nodded slowly. "On her back and stomach. She covered 'em up real quick, but I saw 'em."

She looked up at him again, her little chin trembling slightly, "I asked her about 'em but she made me promise not to tell. She said sometimes her daddy gets angry at her but that it's okay." She shook her head slightly, the tears finally overcoming her small body as it started to shake with sobs, "I don't think it's okay, Daddy."

Eliot didn't hesitate in reaching out to gather Katie up into his arms, pulling her across his lap. He kissed her forehead, rocking back and forth to sooth her as she cried.

"No, baby, it's not," he agreed. His eyes darkened as he tightened his arms around her, "but it will be."

After a few moments Katie's breath evened out and she pulled away from his chest enough to look up at him, tear-stained cheeks still blotchy from crying.

"I wanna help her, Daddy. I wanna help you, help her."

Eliot sighed and kissed her forehead.

"We'll think of something, Katie Beth, I promise. We'll help her."

oooOOOooo

Eliot stood outside the school with Katie the next morning, holding her hand as she shifted beside him. She had been hasty to throw clothes on that morning, her usually eclectic ensemble tamed down to converse shoes, a pair of jeans and a purple tee shirt Parker had gotten her that said 'Misbehavin' in glitter across the front. Eliot had only had time to toss her hair into a ponytail before she was dragging him out the door.

He'd said he would make it okay, and she intended to make sure he meant it.

Eliot felt her hand tighten around his and lifted his head to survey the approaching throngs of children and parents that filled the front lawn of the school.

He zeroed in on a fair skinned, red-headed girl with a blue backpack walking toward them with a tall, bald, heavy-set man at her side.

The red head also wore tennis shoes and a pair of jeans, but unlike the rest of the kids who wore t-shirts and tank tops in anticipation of the predicted 85 degrees it was supposed to raise to that day, she wore a long-sleeved turtleneck.

"That them?" Eliot asked quietly. Katie nodded.

"Daddy?"

He glanced down to find Katie's expression was part determination, part anger.

"Are you gonna hurt him?" she asked, brows furrowed.

Eliot glanced up at Alyssa and her father.

"Why do you ask?" He didn't really want to lie to her.

"Because," she pursed her lips and looked back at the approaching pair, "I want you to hurt him. For hurting Alyssa."

Eliot wasn't sure whether to feel pride or distress at hearing those words come out of his six-year-old's mouth, and he didn't get a chance to sort it out. As soon as Alyssa set eyes on Katie Beth her entire face brightened and Katie pulled away from him, quickly closing the distance between herself and the other little girl.

Katie looked up at the other man and, with ferocity that left no doubt of who her father was, she pulled Alyssa's hand out of his too-tight grip and replaced it with her own.

The man's lips pulled back in a snarl but before he could even get a word out, a shadow fell across the two little girls and he looked up.

Eliot's gaze never left that of Alyssa's father as he spoke to Katie.

"Monkey, take Alyssa inside. See you at three."

Alyssa and Katie looked between the two men a few times, the first with a look of trepidation, the second one of triumph.

Katie smiled and swung her arm across her friend's shoulders, "c'mon. I heard they have chocolate Pop Tarts in the cafeteria."

Eliot continued his stare down with the other man, who had at least three inches on him and seemed to think that gave him an advantage.

"That your kid?" He snarled.

Eliot dipped his chin minutely, "yeah."

"You better get her under control. Too damn disrespectful."

"Oh I see. Control. Like you?" Eliot tilted his head, and continued in a growl that practically trembled with rage, "should I smack her around a little? Show her who's boss?"

The man's eyes widened slightly before growing cold and hard.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah. I'm sure you don't." Eliot muttered, and started to walk back toward his truck, purposefully banging his shoulder against the other man as he passed.

"Hey!"

Eliot whirled around, squared up for a fight. Wishing for one.

"What?" he snapped.

~Eliot.~ Nate's voice warned in his ear, but Eliot made no outward show that he'd heard him.

The bigger man's glare faltered just slightly, unsure of how to react to someone who was not frightened by his clear physical advantage. He kept up the staring match for a few moments, then puffed up his chest slightly as if to intimidate and Eliot's lips curled in a small smirk of amusement.

"You got somethin' to say?" He goaded. Then watched as the man sniffed in disgust, readjusted his sneer and walked around Eliot and across the empty lawn to climb into a black SUV. And as much as it killed him, Eliot let him.

After he'd driven away, Eliot reached up to touch his com.

"Nate. You better be sure about this."

~I am, Eliot. We'll take care of this. Did you get it?~

Eliot glanced down and unfurled his fist from his sleeve where he held the wallet he'd lifted off Alyssa's father a moment before.

"Yeah. I got it."

oooOOOooo

"James Burbane, father of Alyssa Burbane, age six." Hardison read off the stats he'd looked up after Eliot sent him an image of the man's driver's license. Nate sat beside him on the couch, watching the information flash across the screen.

Parker was perched on the back of one of the black chairs, repeatedly folding and unfolding a knife in her hands, a look on her face that told anyone with half a brain to stay out of arms' reach.

Sophie was pacing behind Hardison and Nate, her eyes also locked on the screen, though her mind seemed miles away. They all knew better than to ask where she'd gone. None of them asked about each other's pasts.

"Mother died in childbirth three years ago," Hardison continued.

"Wait, three years ago? I thought Alyssa was six," Sophie said, pausing and coming out of her reverie.

Hardison clicked a few times on his computer and another screen popped up.

"She did." Hardison shook his head sadly, "there was another kid. It died too."

Sophie gasped, "the mother and child died in childbirth?"

"No," Hardison spoke up, "baby died three months later. SBS."

Sophie's eyes dropped closed and Parker frowned.

"What's that?"

Nate answered before anyone else had the chance, his voice low and rough from alcohol and emotion. "Shaken baby syndrome, Parker."

Parker's face hardened and she went back to playing with her knife more urgently than before.

"What about Alyssa. Any record of unexplained injuries?" Nate asked, almost focused to the point of tunnel vision now. Sophie had gone to sit at the kitchen table, her back to the screens.

"A few hospital visits with lame excuses from a few years ago and a note on her file from her kindergarten teacher who thought the bruises looked suspicious. After that the hospital visits dropped off."

"And Alyssa started wearing long pants and turtlenecks in the dead of summer," Parker muttered, scowling.

Nate sighed, knocking back the last of his drink.

"Eliot," he rasped, "you're up."

oooOOOooo

Eliot gripped the papers in his hands tightly as he listened to Hardison and the others over the coms. He was only supposed to get a signature and get out. Let the police handle the rest.

But the guy had a whole lot more than that coming to him and Eliot was going to see to it he got it.

~Eliot, you're up.~ 

The hitter was out of his truck and marching up the front walk to the two story Ranch before Nate was even done speaking.

~Hey, Eliot, remember-~

The hitter kicked in the front door and didn't hear whatever else it was his leader was about to say. The door banged loudly against the wall, knocking over a potted plant and James, Alyssa's father, the man Eliot had met only half an hour before, came barreling around the corner from the kitchen.

"What the hell?" He yelled, and charged the hitter, red faced and fists swinging.

Eliot blocked the first punch and ducked under the second, using the larger man's momentum to shove him into the wall of the narrow hallway and quickly grabbed one of his arms, twisting it behind him and yanking it up high, immobilizing him in an instant.

Eliot grit his teeth, kicking the man's feet apart so he was plastered to the wall immobile, and used his free hand to reach into his back pocket, pulling out the documents he'd shoved there a moment before and slapped them onto the wall in front of him.

"Sign on the dotted line," he growled, giving the man's wrist an extra jerk when he started to protest.

James whimpered slightly, beads of sweat popping up all over his bald head, "fine fine, just give me a pen, I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt me."

Eliot rolled his eyes at the dramatics, but produced a pen and James' signature was scrawled across the bottom of the page.

Satisfied, Eliot took the paper back, pushed it into his jacket, and jerked James away from the wall, giving him a good shove so that he fell to the floor. Eliot was immediately on top of him; grasping a fistful of his shirt and bent so low to his face he could feel his breath on him.

"You're never gonna be able to hurt your daughter again," he hissed, making sure to keep eye contact, wanting to the man see the truth of his next words. "But I'll be watching you. If you ever come near that little girl or any other child ever again, I'll know about it. And I'll find you. And I'll make you wish I would kill you." He paused and gave the man a rough shake, "you understand me?"

James considered a moment, a moment too long in Eliot's opinion who gave him a good swift kick in the ribs as encouragement, and then he nodded.

"Good." Eliot snarled, and lifted him up only enough to slam him back on the ground, knocking him unconscious.

Eliot rocked back onto his knees, a bit out of breath with his blood pumping in his ears and pushed his hair out of his face before he got up to leave.

He wedged the door shut on his way out so that from the street it would not be easy to tell it had been kicked in and took a deep breath.

Now that he was back outside he felt a little less like he was about to burst out of his own skin, surprised that the relatively benign encounter had brought him so close to the edge of losing his control.

Then he realized, it was different this time.

Because when he'd been threatening to end this guy if he ever came near Alyssa again, all he'd been able to see was Katie's face.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reached up to his ear, taking his com off mute.

"Nate?" he said, and waited until the mastermind answered him, "it's done.

oooOOOooo

~Okay, Katie Beth. You ready?~

Katie jumped just slightly when her father's voice sounded in her ear. She'd grown accustomed to wearing the ear bud while in kindergarten, when being away from the team, especially her father, for long lengths of time had been hard on them both. She'd just been tuning out Hardison and Nate's shop talk all morning.

~Baby Ninja on the Grift.~

But now it was her turn. Her part of the 'job'.

She could hardly wait, but she knew better than to show it. Sophie had taught her that much.

"Hey, you wanna come over to my house tonight?" She asked casually, looking up from her drawing with a bright smile. "You can sleep over, if you want."

Alyssa reached into the bucket of crayons they were sharing and shrugged one shoulder, "I'm not allowed to stay at other people's houses," she muttered, not returning Katie's smile.

"No, my Daddy talked to your daddy this morning," Katie assured her, pretending to be enthralled with peeling the paper off her green crayon and trying not to sound as hopeful as she felt. "It's okay."

Alyssa looked up, uncertain, "really?"

"Yeah," Katie nodded. She looked up to meet her gaze and smiled again. "So you wanna come?"

Alyssa thought a moment and then bobbed her head enthusiastically, "yeah. Sounds great."

Katie smiled and got back to her picture, secretly dancing inside.

~Good job, Katie Beth. Real good job.~

oooOOOooo

When Eliot arrived back at the apartment Parker was standing near the wall by the door waiting for him, the switchblade from earlier still twirling in her fingers. Nate and Hardison stood in the kitchen drinking beer, and the entire place was bathed in a tense silence.

At the table Katie sat next to Alyssa, their tiny hands entwined under the table as Sophie spoke gently to the lanky, red-headed little girl.

Sophie's eyes flicked briefly to Eliot when he entered, but returned to Alyssa immediately.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, sweetheart? You don't have to go back to your father if you don't want to."

Alyssa's delicate brow was furrowed with unease and confusion. She glanced at Katie, who smiled encouragingly.

"Where else would I go?" She asked finally in a small voice.

"Well, we talked to your grandmother today. You mother's mother, do you remember her? She says she used to see you often as a baby."

Sophie dipped her chin, trying to get a better look at the girl's downcast face. She saw a slight smile flicker across the girl's face at mention of her grandmother, only to disappear again with a slight shake of her head.

"She doesn't want me."

Sophie frowned and glanced at Eliot, who was scowling deeply, his hand wrapped around Parker's waist, the thief was burrowed deep into his side. Her head came up out of his shoulder upon hearing the girls' soft spoken words.

"What makes you think that, darling?" Sophie asked gently.

Alyssa looked up, glassy eyed, and shrugged. "Nobody wants me but my Dad. I'm naughty a lot."

Sophie's vision was suddenly too blurry to see and she dropped her chin to her chest to give herself a moment to compose herself, reaching out to take the girl's hand to reassure him. Eliot growled low in his throat, and Parker tightened her grip on him.

He should have killed that sorry son of a bitch when he had the chance.

"Darling," Sophie sniffed and smiled bravely, causing Alyssa to give her a confused look, "Sweetheart your grandmother has been trying to get in contact with you since your mother died. She loves you, Alyssa. She wants you."

Alyssa stared at her for several moments and the entire team held their breath.

After a moment, she smiled.

oooOOOooo

Parker and Eliot stood in Katie's door that night, watching as the two girls slept. Alyssa had started out on the bed, but was now on the floor, curled up beside Katie who had, consciously or not, taken up a somewhat protective position beside her.

Both girls were sleeping peacefully and Eliot quietly closed the door, leading Parker back down the hall to their bedroom.

"You got that paper signed, right? The one that says he he's not her father anymore and he can't come and get her?" Parker asked, slipping into one of Eliot's shirts while he brushed his teeth.

"Yeah, Parker, I got it," he answered around his toothbrush, "all parental rights are terminated."

Parker nodded to herself, hands wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees.

A few moments later Eliot came out of the bathroom and found Parker folded up, in the bed, hair limp on her shoulders as she stared up at him, all wide eyes and too-much seen and done.

His chest clenched as he crawled into bed beside her, enfolding her small body in her arms.

"I promise you, Parker, he will never come anywhere near that little girl again," he whispered, kissing her hair, and then her cheek, and then her lips, "I promise, okay?"

Parker sighed and nodded, relaxing against him.

"Good. Because I'll rip his arms off if he does."

oooOOOooo

Katie stared at the blue van parked out in front of her building. Her father stood beside her, the rest of the team was there too, somewhere behind them, watching as Alyssa's grandmother got out of the van and wrapped the little girl in a warm, welcoming hug.

She watched silently as Alyssa's single suitcase full of belongings was loaded into the back of the van, and held back tears when she hugged her friend goodbye.

"Will I ever see you again?" Alyssa asked, suddenly feeling a pang of regret knowing she was moving out of state to live with her grandmother.

Katie smiled wide for her benefit and nodded, "of course we will. All the time." She nodded with a note of finality and then added, "best friends forever?"

Alyssa's grey eyes lit up and she pulled Katie in for another hug, "forever and ever."

Then, all too soon, it was time for Alyssa to go and Katie watched as she clamored into the big van.

"Is this what it feels like, Daddy?" Katie brought her eyes up to meet her father's.

"What what feels like, Katie Beth?" Eliot asked, glancing down. He was surprised by the intensity on his little girl's face and crouched down to be at eye level with her.

"When you're done with a job. When you've helped someone?" She smiled even as tears sprang to her eyes. She glanced over in time to see Alyssa putting her face to the glass, waving exuberantly, smiling a mega-watt grin. Katie smiled and waved back as the van started to pull away.

Eliot nodded, seeing both the sadness and the elation on his daughter's face. Happy to have helped, but sad to see her friend leaving.

"Yeah, baby." He gave her a small smile and gently brushed some unruly brown hair out of her face, "this is exactly what it feels like." He pulled her into a strong hug as the van disappeared around a corner and Katie nodded, tightening her arms around his neck, shutting her eyes tight.

"I'm glad."

"Glad for what, Katie Beth?"

There was a pause, "that my Daddy could beat up her daddy."

Eliot laughed, hoisting her up onto his waist, her legs automatically wrapping around him, willing to baby her for maybe just one more day.

"C'mon Monkey. I think this calls for pancakes."

"Can they be chocolate chip?"

"Yeah, baby, they can be chocolate chip."


	4. Happy Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Father's Day with Katie Beth.

AN: it's Rather Self explanatory just felt like writing it hope you like it's unbeta'd because I wanted to get it out on father's day! I own nothing but Katie Beth! Enjoy and review!-Meghan

 

The first two father's days of Katie's life he was given messy kisses as his gift one of which had some PB & J sandwich mixed in with the slobber. The third year Tana had forgotten to even give Katie too him so he was alone the fourth one he was on a job and no one had known Katie even existed. He didn't know what to expect this year except that Katie had Sophie and Parker's help this year and he wasn't allowed to ask questions or snoop. Katie Beth wanted to surprise him.

He woke alone and to the smell of chocolate baking. Parker and Katie alone in his kitchen…unsupervised…oh god his kitchen. He got up and ran scared of what he would find.

He found them icing a chocolate cake the messy bowls in the sink his kitchen fairly clean except for the oven door being open. "What are y'all doin?"

"Making you a chocolate cake for breakfast but you're not supposed to be awake yet I was going to bring it to you in bed." Katie informed him.

"Well should I go back to bed?" he asked.

"No that's ok…" he walked over and closed the oven door. "Chocolate cake for breakfast?" he questioned parker coming to stand between them

"It's what she wanted to do I wasn't going to tell her no." Parker shrugged continuing her icing mission. Katie Beth stood in her chair Eliot went to scold her before he could she climbed up him. Wrapping herself around him giving him a tight hug. "Real squeezes huh?"

"Yup." she kissed his cheek repeatedly. "And extra kisses 'cause its your Daddy Day… Happy Father's Day…I have your present in my room." he took that to mean put me down. So he did she shot off toward her room.

Minutes later she returned and handed him a messily wrapped and heavily scotch taped object the paper adorned with snoopy characters.

"I wrapped it myself."

"I can tell and you did a lovely job." Eliot smiled and told Parker with his eyes to keep the comments he saw on her face to herself. "And here's your card …" she handed him a handmade card. The pink construction paper folded in half bore a rainbow on the front with words To: Daddy From: Katie Beth yer Monkey written above it. He opened it inside was a smiley face on the left with an assortment of hearts and on the right was 143 happy father's day love Katie Beth

"Now your present!" He opened it inside was a slightly misshapen cobalt blue bowl emblazoned with bright purple flowers. "Made it in my pottery class with Sophie, painted it too. Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding me I love it. Its just the right size for ice cream."

He kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

"Welcome, Thanks for bein my daddy…"

"Not a problem I've enjoyed the job so far…double check when your seventeen though…" he teased. even though the cake had its fair share of egg shells Eliot couldn't think of a better cake he'd ever eaten.

"Daddy I made Uncle Nate something too, I know he's not my Daddy he's Sam's daddy and Sam's not here but he still needs a present like you. Can I go give it too him?" Eliot didn't want to tell her no because he was really proud of her for thinking of Nate but he also knew the reminder would hurt Nate even though it was unintentional on Katie's part. He didn't know what to say. Parker saved him the trouble though. "Sure baby ninja sounds like a plan." she grabbed the gift from her room went and down the hall to Nate's place.

She knocked Sophie answered. "Hi Katie Darling… you need something?"

"No just got a present for Uncle Nate…" she showed Sophie. "Well isn't that nice he's on the couch baby."

"Okay…" She went to the living room where Sophie stood off to the side and watched. "Hey Uncle Nate what ya watchin?"

"Antique's roadshow your Dad know you are here?" she came around the couch and sat by him. "Yeah…I bringed you a present."

"Brought sweetie." Sophie corrected.

She handed Nate the gift "I know you're not my daddy but you kinda are a little you always help me with my homework and teach me stuff that makes me smart and talk to me like I'm a big girl and not a baby and I like that!

There's not a Uncle Nate day so I figured…"

"You're smart all on your own…Katie you can be anything…"

"I want to be." Katie finished. He gingerly unwrapped a turquoise coffee mug. With " 1 Uncle Nate in red." Nate swallowed thickly "I really, really love it Katie."

"Ok good, you don't think Sam minds up in heaven that someone else gave his daddy a present do you?" tears blurred Sophie's vision. "Nate cleared his throat. "No baby I don't think he'd mind at all." he said hoarsely. She kissed his cheek "Happy father's Day Uncle Nate, can you not drink the stinky stuff I can't touch in this though?"

"No stinky stuff is gonna touch this mug I promise."

"Ok. Want some cake? I made it. Tata Sophie?"

"Sure Darling lead the way." once they were gone Nate exhaled leaned his head back on the couch. Sometimes life just hits you in the gut he thought.


	5. Eliot Fears Aunt Flo

Title: Eliot Fears Aunt Flo

Prompt Katie & horomones

Age: 13

Notes: Thanks to my ever patient betas Pldjmpr6 & Fluer 27 I own nothing but KB R&R!

Eliot was scared of his child.

Now thirteen, moody and mouthy, the doors in the Spencer household tend to slam a lot these days. He'd started wondering when the alien that had invaded Katie Beth's body was going to leave and return his normal child.

In the morning he could hear her knocking around in her room before emerging a few minutes later, bleary eyed half asleep and hair going in forty directions.

"Morning Monkey."

"I hate life."

"Ok, but it only sucks more the older you get," he continued his pancake making until Katie entered the common area of the house. She was her usual presentable if not a little grumpy self. "You ok Monkey? You look tired."

"Please don't call me Monkey anymore, Dad, I'm not a baby."

"Well ok since you asked so nice and all." Eliot said slightly sarcastic. She examined her black nail polish while he finished breakfast. Eliot hated that. He hadn't raised a goth kid. Her aloof manner irritated him, even though she got it from him.

"Pancake?" He held up the plate she rolled her eyes.

"Sure."

The eye rolling drove him mad. He bit his tongue to stifle the growl of frustration.

-/-

When he drove her to school she made him park down the block so as not to be seen in Hardison's van, Vivi.

"There aint nothing wrong with Viv." Hardison muttered.

Katie had her hand on the door handle, preparing to alight from the vehicle.

" Don't I even get a goodbye kiss? " Eliot asked. She sighed and kissed his cheek impatiently and got out of the car "Have a good day I love you Katie Beth,"

"You too Dad."

"You know the whole Katie Beth thing that's non-negotiable that's your name as far as I'm concerned." He yelled out the window to her back. "Bye everyone be safe." Katie Said into her ear bud,

They all called out their farewells. Eliot sighed.

"It's a phase Eliot." Sophie said in his head.

"Yeah, well whatever it is I don't like it. Its grumpy and mean."

"Like you." Parker added. He could hear the smirk.

"I can still hear you!" Katie growled out.

He was in the process of taking a guy down in the middle of a con later that day when he heard it. Sniffles and that hiccuppy noise were a very distinctive sound in his ear because Katie ever cried.

"Katie are you crying?"

"Yes, Ok I cry. I'm a girl not the freaking tin man I have a heart and I cry," she wailed.

With two punches and head butt, the guy hit the floor and Eliot was able to focus his attention on his daughter.

"Ok, baby….breathe its ok. Somebody hurt you?" His voice was calm but his insides quaked with possibilities.

"N-n-no. I started my period." she cringed realizing she said it over an open comm but it was too late now.

"I have on white jeans everyone laughed."

"Oh ok…it's gonna be…I'll…"

Sophie cut off his stumbling. "We'll fix it darling. Go wait outside we'll be right there." Sophie's calm instruction helped her to level out.

"There should be some yoga pants in your gym bag, I washed them." Eliot added. "Thanks guys." they heard the toilet paper being unrolled and loud blowing her voice a little more sure.

"No problem."

"The office aide should be bringing you your gym bag now baby ninja." Hardison added.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah Darlin'." he rolled the body out of the ay with his feet. "This is really the worst day…."

"I've got some of your dad's home made ice cream hidden it will help trust me." Parker said.

-/-

Eliot stood in the feminine products aisle with Sophie feeling highly uncomfortable.

"Sophie I can't do this."

"Yes you can. You just…"

"She's a girl Sophie."

"And you are just now realizing this?" Eliot stared blankly at the over stocked aisle, scowl firmly in place.

Sophie tapped her bottom lip with a well manicured nail trying to make a choice.

"Well no, but she's a real girl…with her time of the month…and then comes the boobs and the curves and boys and sex…oh god no don't make me deal with sex …I can't I can not do this." He held his hands up in surrender a pleading look in his eyes. Sophie was trying valiantly not to laugh.

"You're getting way ahead of yourself for now you just buy her kotex pads, midol, and chocolate and just stay out of her way for a week. You'll be fine."

"Besides the average girl doesn't lose her virginity til sixteen. You got three years left still." Parker appeared next to him.

Eliot groaned. "Why'd you have to tell me that?"

She shrugged. "She sent me in for m&ms and I like giving you useless factoids."

"How do I even know which horribly uncomfortable looking device to buy?" Sophie handed him a flowery package. "These should work we'll move her up to tampons later ." Eliot shuddered "what are the wings for?"

"Helps to stick to her panties."

Eliot's face scrunched up and he thought he might actually be physically ill.

"So didn't need to know," his tone belied dismay and disgust.

"Rule number one: don't take the hormones to heart its not your fault. Two, it won't last forever. Three, never ever make a teenage girl buy her own sanitary items its mortifying and I'd just as soon spare her the embarrassment as long as possible." They journeyed toward check out with Eliot staring at the package in his hands in disbelief.

"Do it without bitching too. If I find out you made her buy them alone I'll rip your balls off…and that will piss off Parker really bad. No sex. We clear Darling?"

Eliot stopped short and stared at her. She was browsing painkillers casually, like she hadn't just threatened his man hood.

He found his voice again,"Yes Ma'am."

Sophie nodded and started off again, leaving Eliot to pick up his strides to catch her.

-/-

One Bath,, two midol, half a pint of ice cream and an unknown number of M&MS later, the ladies emerged from Katie's Room. Katie came over to where he was lounged on the couch.

"Can I watch with you?"He could hear a little bit of tiredness in her voice. He thought maybe it was the medication taking effect. She gestured to the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond on the tv.

"Sure." She sat down, curling into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. Eliot ran his fingers through her wet hair and kissed the top of her head, enjoying the closeness and the brief return of his 'normal' child.

She laughed. "I like Frank he's funny."

"Yeah… you feel better?" He asked hesitantly. He was never entirely sure what would set her off.

"The pills helped," She mumbled into his shoulder keep her eyes in the tv. " Sorry I was so mean this morning. And lots of mornings. Sometimes I just wake up in a bad mood."

"I know, its ok. Where'd Soph, and Parker go?"

"Tata Sophie went to check on Uncle Nate and Auntie Parker had something that needed stealing. She offered to let me go but I passed. TV land with you looked more fun."

"Well I feel special." he tried to be angry with parker for the invitation but it was just Parker's way of relating and Katie knew not to go anyway.

"And besides you'd flip if I actually grifted. This was smarter."

Eliot laughed "That's my girl."

In his head he begged time to move slower.


	6. A Slow Sweet Walk

Title: A Slow Sweet Walk

Prompt: Eliot's thoughts as he walks Katie Beth down the aisle.

Ages: 1 day, 14 mos, 2 yrs, 5 yrs, 12 yrs. 25, years

Notes: I own nothing but Katie Beth. This fic is inspired by the song walk with you by Edwin McCain. As always thanks to my Beta fleur. Also flashbacks are in italics.

Please Review!

Sophie is helping her fix her lace vintage wedding gown, and Eliot feels nauseous. Not because of the pretty penny the dress had cost him but because today he was giving his only daughter, his Katie Beth, away to be married. Sophie's whispering quiet advice to her, and he has to swallow around the lump in his throat as she asks with the brightest smile he's ever seen. "Ready, Daddy?"

He finds himself saying, "You bet baby," as he takes the first step out on to the silk runner. He's not expecting to be hit by memories, but he is. He feels her hand tighten on his arm and with a slight shake in her voice, she whispers"Go slow."

He shot her what he hoped was a reassuring half grin. "Was planning on it."

-/-

Tana bailed as soon as she had the baby and he's not surprised. She's probably off getting her fix that she's so longed for these past nine months. He threatened her with bodily harm, even death, if she got high during the pregnancy, and he'd have done it too. It didn't matter that Tana was a woman. There was no need to harm the only innocent party in this whole mess with her selfishness.

He walked down the cheerily yellow hall and wanted to puke. Instead, he stared at his boots, which seemed out of place in this setting. His baby, no he shouldn't really call her his baby, he needed to shoulder his responsibility without becoming attached so he amended himself the child is behind those double doors in the NICU and this place seemed too happy.

He scrubbed and gowned up then stood before her isolette, feet apart and arms crossed, scowl firmly in place. He looked at the decorated name plate on the end of the isolette "Katherine Elizabeth "Katie." Spencer." Katherine was his mother's name so to lessen confusion for everyone, his sister Jodi had nicknamed her Katie.

"We're going to take her off the vent would you like to hold her Mister Spencer?" a timid red headed nurse in clown scrubs asked.

He hesitated, longing to say no, but he was going to have to touch her to raise her. 

"Sure." He watched them remove the tubing and fought the urge to flinch. They were jostling her a little to get her to take the first breath. 

"Come on Katie, breath for me darlin'," the nurse pleaded. 

"Hello Katherine." he found himself saying. She let out a cry as if to say hello back.

The nurse wrapped her up and handed her over. The wonder and amazement he felt choked up, looking at her dark hair and face that mirrored his perfectly in miniature. Long eyelashes ringed her closed and impossibly blue eyes. She opened her eyes, looking right at him and he felt something inside him slip. No, no, he couldn't love her; it would cause so much trouble. She yawned, already bored with the scowling man, and returned to her baby dreams. 

He stood there, he didn't know how long, appraising her face. She had big eyes but Jodi said that was normal and she'd grow into them. She had nearly perfect eyebrows and he thought it was kind of odd she was born with perfectly arched brows. She had chubby cheek and he wanted to kiss them. No one will see, he told himself and stole a quick kiss. She groaned at him. 

"Sorry I know you're sleepin'." he whispered in answer. She had his nose and mouth . She had his everything, well not everything she was a girl after all. He continued checking her over. Her removed her hat running his finger tips over her soft inky black curls. He counted fingers and toes. She squeezed his index finger.

"Well I guess she didn't screwed you up to bad you're kinda scrawny but you got all your parts and pieces and you're real pretty…so Tana gets to live. I'm Eliot by the way and I'm your Dad." 

Well he guessed it was ok to like her but loving her was out of the question.

-/-

Katie had long ago melted his heart, and now he loved her more than he could ever explain. He stood in the kitchen preparing dinner with his back turned to her, on the phone with his mother. 

"I think she's allergic to the laundry soap or something she gets a real patchy rash around her neck and around her arms but if I let her run around in her diaper for a day or two it goes away." 

Behind him she pulled up on the coffee table to stand on shaky legs. He turned to check on her just as she was taking her first step. 

"Mama I gotta go Katie's walkin'." He laughed and hung up on her . He moved to where she could get to him and squatted down. 

"Look at you Katie Beth, walkin' like a big girl." She giggled and covered her mouth with her hands like she did if he caught her doing a no-no. And finally a little more confident she scurried into his arms.

"You did it! Yes, ma'am you did," he laughed. Picking her up, he hugged her tight, kissing her cheek. Up til now at fourteen months old, she'd flat out refused to walk unless she was holding on to Eliot's fingers. It had begun to worry him but his mother said she was just stubborn like him and would do it when she wanted and not before.

-/-

He was standing on the beach with her, taking her picture as she stood on his brightly colored beach towel in her pink bikini. Now, at two she'd mastered a few words. 

"Daddy."

"Hi Darlin' Smile for me." No smile yet.

"Come on Monkey…" she smiled at him brightly as some one walked by with a boom box, reggae spilling out and Katie did something that was half twist half Elvis Presley hip jiggle and Eliot found himself laughing and scooping her up he danced with her, drawing attention to them.

-/-

Katie's first Boston winter was something to see. Up until the point that he'd moved himself Tana and Katie to Boston, Katie's only home had been California. He smiled now as she knelt in the window seat of his apartment window, looking down at the now snow-covered city.

"Daddy it's like living in a snow globe…"

He took the time to stand in the moment and remember his girl's young excitement. 

"Well go put on your warm clothes, and I'll take you to play…" and Katie giggled.

He looked over his shoulder and there stood parker in black long johns, snow boots and a hat with ear flaps. He barely stifled a snicker 

"Parker you put clothes on over the long johns, baby…" he told her and tried not to think too hard on how easy the word "Baby" popped out of his mouth

Sophie made snow angels with Katie as Hardison tried to figure out the best way to build their snow fort. Eliot tried to fix Parker's lopsided snow man and Nate stood on their front porch, sipping his coffee and taking in what Eliot knows due to the presence of his daughter is a painful domestic seen for him.

"Snow men are round Parker…you know that right?" he teased. She kissed his cheek. "

It likes the snow! See?" she turns his face to see gleeful Katie laying in the snow with Sophie.

"Seriously stop calling her it," he sighed frustrated as parker just smiled.

Suddenly he was beaned in the center of his back with a snow ball. He turned slowly and Katie's gave him a toothless grin. "Run little girl, run fast!"

-/-

She's in the nine to twelve competitive jumping bracket. She's reedy, tall and slim. He was French braiding her dark hair, even though she can do it herself now. She needed him less now. At least in the doing things for her category. He was raising a mightily independent soul and he supposed he should be proud, but really he just wanted her to stop growing up. She's in her riding gear, sitting in a folding chair outside Wicket's stall standing behind her, he meticulously plaited.

"Remember don't get up into your two point stance until just before approach…stay up until you land otherwise the old girl will unseat you." He took the ponytail holder out of his mouth to secure her hair. 

"I know that Daddy. I have practiced," she said primly, kind of offended. He smiled. 

"Well alright then I have something for you." He went around her chair and squatted in front of her. Pulling a pin from his shirt pocket. The thin rectangular edges were red with thin lines of white next and a blue center. 

"What's this daddy?"

"My Distinguished Service Cross. Your Nana has the actual medal. I wore this on my dress uniform and I want you to have it for luck." He pinned it on her riding jacket lapel.

"What did you do to get it?"

"Just helped my friends that's all… lets get you saddled."

In the stands, Eliot pretended he's not scared for her safety. Sophie was biting her thumb nail and muttering things like "large animals… jumping…the baby…stupid thing to do " at him.

"I like all the colors…" Parker prattled. 

"Baby Ninja's up." Hardison told them. 

"Representing Spencer Farms, Katie Beth Spencer," boomed over them. 

Nate looked through his binoculars. "Eliot where did she get the second highest medal of honor awarded by the armed forces?"

"I wanted her to have it." Katie flashed him a quic and approached the first obstacle. He held his breath.

-/-

They are half way there now and Eliot's not sure he can actually do this. He can't remember when he ceased to be the point her world revolves around, but he finds himself selfishly wanting it back as she sees nothing but her groom at the end of the aisle.

-/-

She met him at Harvard Law, and he made her smile, but as hard as Eliot tried he just cant make himself like the kid. He's polished and you can practically smell the rich on the kid. Never mind that Katie would qualify as a rich girl if Eliot really thought about. Sophie had forced him to be nice to the kid with the hoity toity name Grayson Hale. Katie calls him Gray and he calls her Kate. Eliot hates that... she's Katie Beth and that's that in his opinion.

He got bonus points for guts when he gathered them all in one place to ask for her hand and he got a few more when in a clear and steady voice, he said"I love your daughter, sir, and I'd like to marry her, with your blessing of course," all the while looking Eliot in the eye.

He'd wanted to refuse him permission because no one would ever be good enough for his daughter but he made Katie happy and her happiness was the most important thing to him. Sophie's nudged him after several long minutes of silence. 

"You hurt her in any way, shap,e or form and I find out about it. I'll murder you and they'll never find the body. As long as that's clear, you're free to ask."

The kid flinched and gulped. "Yessir I won't hurt her." 

Eliot hated flinchers but he tried to let it go.

-/-

He was surprised to find Katie sitting at the bar of McRory's with a glass of red wine in front of her.

He sat next to her on a empty barstool. "Katie Beth?"

"Did you love my mother?"

"No, I liked her. I didn't love her."

"Do you love Parker? I mean I can count the times you've said it to each other on one hand in the twenty years you've been together."

"We're actions instead of words kind of people but yes, I love Parker very much. Where is al this coming from Katie?"

"I guess it's jitters I don't want to mess this up. I'm scared." She ran her index finger down the condensation on the glass, staring at the untouched drink.

"Of?"

"Not being enough? Of being too much? We both know I'm not the easiest person to live with, Daddy. I don't want to fail."

"Hm, Well first of all we're Spencer's we don't fail…"

"Because the only way to truly fail is to never try…" she finished for him. "I know, Daddy."

"And ok so you aren't easy to live with but no good woman is…I raised you toothink for yourself and to have opinions and use the complicated brain God gave you. I think the boy knows what he's getting into and if not…" Eliot smirked. "It's gonna be one helluva show to watch."

"Seriously Daddy."

"Ok, Now in all seriousness, when you want to be selfish, that's when you put each other first. Take not one single day for granted because it may very well be your last. Never walk away from an argument, running is the coward's way out. Stay and finish it. When you face something bi,g stand beside each other, because if you are worried about standing in front of or behind each other you're too distracted by protecting each other to actually win the battle of whatever God has put in front of you."

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Not a problem just doin' my job," he smirked. "Man this daddy thing is never ending."

-/-

They are at the end of the aisle now and it's that time.

"Who gives this woman to be wed?" the preacher asks.

He's not sure how and maybe it's some small miracle, but he finds the words and voice to say "I do" before handing her over to the living Ralph Lauren ad. He takes her face in his hands, and because he doesn't want to share this moment with anyone but her and maybe Sophie if she's close enough to hear, he says in flawless French "You have been the greatest blessing of my life and you always make me proud, If he doesn't make you happy, you tell me and Daddy will take care of it."

Cupping her face in his hands, he kisses her forehead and finds the strength to smile as he hands her over to Grayson.

He sits down next to Parker who takes his hand wordlessly. He swallows around the lump of tears and clears his throat. Sophie leans forward from the seat behind him where she sits with Nate and squeezes his shoulder.

"Just because her last name will be different doesn't mean you're out of a job Eliot."

He just nods because he has no words. The preacher reads love is patient…love is kind…and Eliot thinks of what's next for Katie.

He's leaning on the hospital room door. "Daddy come see…we named her Eliot…but I will call her Ellie." 

Life is full of slow, sweet walks, across the living room on shaky legs, down white aisle and across rooms to peer into the arms of your child and Eliot is grateful for them all.


	7. Little Thief

Title: Littlest Theif  
Age: 12  
Prompt: Katie's first crime

A/N: Here's my latest Katie Beth chapter. Lemme tell ya', nothin' more fun than Eliot as a daddy. Haha. Hope you guys feel inclined to leave a review, and thanks so much to Miss Meggie for allowing me to dabble in her verse!

oooOOOooo

The door slamming in Eliot's apartment reverberated through the entire floor. Sophie dropped her magazine to her chest and looked over at Hardison, who paused his video game and frowned.

The unexpected sound of the door slamming a second time had them both craning their necks toward the others. Nate looked up from the files he had spread out in front of him on the kitchen table and Parker popped out from behind the kitchen counter.

"Was that what I think it was?" She asked no one inparticular. They all exchanged glances again and nodding, abandoned their activities and made a beeline for the door.

oooOOOooo

"I just don't see the big deal! I don't know why you're freaking out about this, dad!" Katie shouted, tossing her long brown hair out of her face and putting her hands on her hips.

"Katherine Elizabeth Spencer we are not doing this," Eliot bellowed, red faced and furious. "Now I said go to your room and I meant it."

"But you're being so-"

"Now!"

Katie leveled him with a glare that would have made weaker men crumble - Eliot too, if he wasn't so used to seeing it in the mirror – and did an about-face, stomping off toward her room.

A door slammed in the Spencer home for a third time in as many minutes and Eliot closed his eyes, forcing himself to take several deep breaths and bring his blood pressure back down to normal levels.

"Eliot?"

He turned around and saw the entire team peeking in through his back door.

"What?" He snapped, taking his keys and wallet out of his pockets and throwing them at the table beside the front door. Both missed their mark but made a satisfying noise when they hit the wall.

"Hey!" Hardison frowned, at the dent they made. "I'm gonna make you start paying for maintenance."

Eliot ignored him and went to the kitchen, pulling out a bunch of different raw vegetables, a knife and a cutting board chopping the food into tiny pieces.

Sophie and Nate glanced at one another and she stepped into the room.

"Eliot, is everything alright?"

Eliot smiled coldly and turned around, gesturing with the knife held firmly in his hand.

"Alright? No, Sophie, everything is not alright." He pointed toward the hallway toward the bedrooms. "I just had to pick up my twelve year old daughter from mall security because she got caught shoplifting a pair of shoes."

Parker gasped and took a step forward.

"She got caught?" she demanded, her own hands on her hips.

Eliot pursed his lips to keep from saying the first things that came to his mind and instead settled for a low, warning growl.

"Yeah, Parker. She got caught. But, as her father, that's actually not as important to me as it is the fact that she was shoplifting in the first place. Not that I'd expect you to understand that." He turned back around to his cutting board, his shoulders rigid and tense.

"I, uh," Nate glanced at Hardison, who looked as uncomfortable with the situation as he felt, "think maybe we should get out of here guys. Let's let Eliot handle this."

Sophie nodded, patting Nate on the arm. "Yeah, I'm just going to go check on Katie-"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Eliot was whirling around, his eyes flashing.

"No! Sophie, I will not have you in there coddling her."

"But Eliot, I just-"

"No," he interrupted, "what she did was wrong. You're not gonna go in there and baby her and tell her it's all okay. It's not okay. She's going to be disciplined for what she did and you're not gonna go in there all 'Tata Sophie' and make me into the big bad guy here, got it?" He raised his eyebrows, waiting.

Sophie raised her hands in surrender. "Fine." She turned and left the way she came, Hardison and Nate following behind.

Eliot sighed and went back to chopping, the fast, repetitive motion serving to calm some of his nerves. He allowed his muscles to take over from memory, freeing up his mind to ponder over 'what do I do now' and 'am I being too hard on her' and 'how much of this is my fault' in peace.

He wasn't expecting the touch of pressure on his arm and his left hand hesitated just a fraction of a second in moving out of the way for the next down motion of the knife, causing him to slice right into his thumb.

"Goddammit Parker!" He shouted, throwing the knife into the sink and slamming on the cold water. He stuck his thumb under the stream, glaring at the pink water.

"Sorry." The thief said, sheepishly. It wasn't the first time she'd accidentally startled him into injuring himself.

The uncertainty and worry in her eyes made the majority of his anger toward her melt away. He shrugged one shoulder.

"I'll live," he told her, shutting the water off and pulling off a few pieces of paper towel to wrap his thumb in.

"No, I didn't mean about that," she shook her head and dropped her eyes to the floor. "I mean, about, the um, teaching her to steal."

She looked up when he didn't answer and found his expression completely unreadable. That frightened her more than she expected.

"I know you don't want this," she made a vague motion with her hand, "this life, for her." She shrugged, looking genuinely repentant. "I just…didn't have anything else to give her."

Eliot stayed quiet and she dropped her eyes to her feet again, afraid the damage had already been done. She could feel his gaze on her skin for several moments and looked up in time to see him reach out, hook his hand behind her neck, and pull him toward her in a lip crushing kiss.

He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers. "You give her so much more than you know," he whispered.

Parker's lips twitched in a smile and Eliot pulled away.

"Now, excuse me. I gotta go figure out if I'm going to ground Katie until the end of time or just until she's dead."

Parker followed him into the living room, stopping him before he reached the door.

"You should ask her why."

Eliot paused and turned around. "What?"

"Ask her why she did it," she gestured stiffly toward Katie's bedroom, looking uncomfortable in her own skin and blew out a breath, trying to find the right words.

"Eliot…I started stealing because I didn't have any choice. I didn't have anyone to give me-" she stopped abruptly and swung her eyes back up to Eliot, having allowed them to rove the room while she spoke.

"Katie's never had to want anything," she said intensely. "You have given her everything she's ever needed and most of the things she's asked for." She pointed at the room, "ask her why. Why this time? Why those shoes?"

She shrugged and some of the blank relaxed energy returned to her, "you might be surprised."

Eliot stared at her until she became uncomfortable under his gaze, amazed that, after everything, she still surprised him.

"Parker?"

She looked up to find him giving her a soft smile, the likes of which she didn't often see.

"Thanks."

She smiled and watched Eliot open the door.

oooOOOooo

Katie sat back in the mass of beaded, multicolored pillows at the head of her bed, knees pulled up to her chest while she picked at the fuzz on her favorite teddy bear's green overalls. Her headboard was draped with discarded clothing from that morning, if you could call it a headboard. Eliot was pretty sure it was a section of picket fence Sophie had picked up at a flea market.

Her eyes snapped up to him when the door opened and he didn't miss the way she hunkered down tighter in on herself, doggedly refusing to look him in the eye.

Eliot sighed, squishing his toes into the lime green shag carpet, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Hey Monkey."

Katie snorted, tossing aside her bear and sitting up slightly, crossing her legs Indian.

"I'm Monkey now? That mean you're not mad anymore?"

Eliot took a deep breath and dropped to sit onto the purple, blue and pink tie dye bedspread.

"I wasn't mad-"

"Ha!" she barked a laugh that sounded way more like Parker than he liked and gave him a sharp smirk. "You almost ran an old lady off the road and had to restrain yourself from kicking Mrs. Aernie's dog."

Eliot tilted his head in acceptance. "Okay. Maybe I was a little upset."

Katie nodded, her shoulders still tense and guarded. Her cell phone played a short tune and she flipped her hair out of her eyes, automatically reaching out to read the text message she'd just received. But before she could reach it Eliot snatched the device off the three vintage suitcases covered with stickers from all over the world that Sophie had given her. She didn't travel often, so Katie had stacked them so that they served as her bedside table.

"Hey!" She protested immediately.

"We're not done," Eliot responded, and glanced down at the message. He growled, seeing it was Sophie asking if she was 'okay'.

"Woman doesn't know how to butt out," he grumbled, and turned to put the phone on the dresser. He kept his back to the room for a moment, gathering his thoughts and making sure his temper was in check. He could hear Katie shifting around behind him and when he turned back around, her legs were swinging over the side, most of the angry would-be teenager gone from her face, leaving only a remorseful child he recognized

He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why'd you do it, Katie Beth?"

Her brow furrowed slightly as if she didn't understand the question.

"I would have bought them for you if you'd asked," he clarified and it came out more desperate than he intended. He didn't want this life for her.

She shrugged one shoulder, "they weren't for me."

Eliot frowned, "who were they for?"

"A girl at school. Her family doesn't have much money. She never gets new clothes for the new school year or anything. I…just thought she'd like 'em," she finished in a mumble, looking down at her fingers fidgeting in her lap.

Eliot's eyes fell shut, his heart breaking just a little in his chest.

"I'm sorry Daddy," she apologized unexpectedly and Eliot opened his eyes, crossing the room to sit beside her again.

Katie turned to look up at him, trying hard to fight tears, "I really didn't think you'd get so mad. I mean…" she hesitated, "you steal sometimes."

"Yeah, Katie, I do. And the police could catch up to the team one day and come bustin' down the door and haul me away. You know that," he said quietly. He'd long ago explained that possibility to his daughter, aware that people on both sides of the law had plenty of reason to come looking for him, especially after the thing with Sterling four years before.

Katie frowned, looking distressed. "But why? You help people. All of you. You're good guys."

Eliot put his arm around her, "that's not how some people see it, baby. And I don't want you to be like that. Stealing is wrong." The words felt like acid on his tongue. He hated being a hypocrite.

Katie shook her head, still not understanding. "But sometimes doing the right thing means doing the wrong thing, right? I mean, sometimes the end is what matters. Right?"

She stared up at him, wide eyed innocence that spoke to how young she still was. She looked so conflicted and confused he found himself questioning, not for the first time, how wise it had been to come back from Kentucky, to raise her in such a morally twisted environment. Then, like he always did, he reminded himself that however wrong they sometimes were, the team was her family. Their family. He couldn't have raised her anywhere else.

"That's just not the way the law sees it, baby."

She huffed in righteous indignation. "Then the law should change."

"Oh? And who's gonna change it?"

Katie thought a moment.

"Me." She looked up at him, a stubborn glint flashing in her blue eyes, "we were learnin' about the judicial system today in school and…"

Eliot listened as she gave him an abbreviated version of how the American government functioned, not bothering to correct her misunderstandings. He was just happy to hear she was learning anything at all.

"And if I can't change the law…then I'll become a lawyer." She pulled away from him as she stood, going to retrieve her phone.

Eliot raised an eyebrow. "Lawyer?"

She nodded again, and turned to face him, leaning back against her hand painted chest of drawers. "So I can defend people who do the wrong things for the right reasons. People like you."

Eliot's heart swelled in his chest. He couldn't help himself. He stood, crossed the room and kissed her forehead, even though he knew she would roll her eyes at the gesture.

"You'd make a good lawyer."

"You think so?"

"Oh yeah. Now, you still want to get those shoes for your friend?"

Katie grinned and nodded.

"Let's go then. We can get some clothes and stuff too. How's that sound?"

If possible, her grin brightened even more and she surprised him by throwing her arms around his waist in a tight hug.

"I love you dad." She mumbled into his chest.

Eliot smiled, leaning over to press another kiss to her hair.

"Love you too baby."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

Katie tightened her arms around him and looked up to bat her eyelashes. "Am I still grounded?"

Eliot chuckled. "Oh, hell yeah."


	8. Dating Isn't Easy For A Spencer Girl

AN: Thanks for reading I own nothing but KB! Thanks to my beta PJ, all mistakes are mine.

 

Title: Dating Isn't Easy For A Spencer Girl

Age: 16

Prompt(s): First Date & Kiss

-/-

Boys.

Katie liked them, and they liked his Katie. One boy in particular liked her, a lot more than the others did.

Collin Andrews. He'd been hanging around Katie quite a bit lately at school, "group dates"; he'd even worked up the guts to come over for team movie night. Sophie had told him the kid was going to ask Katie out soon for a one on one date 'mark her words'.

Eliot wasn't marking anything because it wasn't going to happen. Ever.

"Learn to let go a little Eliot." Sophie had said

Eliot can and has learned lots of things., How to give a baby a bath and trim its nails, for example. He shuddered at the thought of it. That whole ordeal had been utterly terrifying. A tiny baby with tiny hands that had sharp little nails she scratched her face. Him, a guy who wasn't always aware of the strength he possessed, and unwieldy dangerous clippers. He'd learned Karate and Hebrew. So knows he can learn, its just a matter of the want too

"Earth to Eliot?" Sophie said waving a hand before his face.

"I know how to let go, Sophie, I just have no desire to this time-" he swigged his beer and sat it back down, catching Cora's eye and shooting her a wink. Parker scowled until the other woman looked uncomfortable. Eliot caught Parker's little posessive moment but wouldn't mention it to her..

"Well you could make her join a convent." Parker suggested.

"Well yeah I could." He paused thinking it over.

"She's sixteen man, you told her no dating until she's sixteen and now, well she is." Hardison said taking the barstool left of Eliot.

"I was hoping she would still be uninterested in boys by now and I…" he hesitated, his face contorting into something of a pained frown, "I… teenage boys are just…pervy, okay? I know. I used to be one."

"You can't lock her away forever, you're going to have to let go a lot more in the years to come Eliot, a date it's not going to hurt her." Sophie said. And they heard the door slam-I Katie flounced into mcroroy's "I came to tell you I have a flat on my car. I don't appreciate being talked about behind my back." She dropped the keys to her Cobalt in her purse and pinned Eliot with a look that resembled Tana too much for comfort. "You know, if I wanted to I could date whoever I want behind your back. did grow up learning how to lie, you know." She turned around and stomped out the door toward their apartment. They watched for their stools as dark hair flew out around her with the motion of her body , blue eyes formed into a mean little hereditary squint . Eliot watches as the guy in his early twenties holding the door for Katie seems unsafected by her surliness, as he checks out her legs in those skinny jeans Eliot hates because they draw too much attention. She looks much older than she actually is at 5'8 and curves in all the places guys like Eliot spends a good deal of his time glowering at the people who check her out. She still looks like him but the sharp planes and angles of his face are softer with a more innocent femine beauty reflected in her face."Great just how I wanted to finish my day." Eliot muttered and finished off his beer. He keeps his seat continuing to stare pensively at nothing

"Aren't you gonna go after her?" Hardison asked

"In a minute, when I do there will be crying and screaming so just rather put of as long as possible."

"So you're being cowardly." Parker said.

"I prefer avoiding the problem at hand."

-/-

He found her in her room reading a tattered copy of She's Come Undone by_wally lamb_. Her favorite book. At first he'd balked at buying her an Oprah book club selection but Sophie convinced him it was just a very mature look a young girls journey of self discovery so he'd relented she was sixteen she could pick her own books besides she loves it she'd read it seven times in as many months. "She Cloroxed the lady's prized fish yet?" He strolled forward thumbs hooked in his pockets.

"No." Katie answered without looking away from page eighty five.

"We weren't really talking about you behind your back you know? It was more me basically having a parental panic attack and the others trying to reason with me._." her faced remained neutral and he tilted his head at her.

"He asked me out. Colin finally asked me out and I was excited and now you're not going to let me go because, you don't trust me. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get any guy to like me? Especially after they meet you. You give them that look of death and doom and they run for the hills." She mimicked the look with starling clarity and turned the book face down her brows knitting together for a split second. And silence reigned for a beat.

Eliot sighed and sat down on the end her sleigh bed,. crunching the toe of his boot into her white carpet.

"Okay here's the thing Monkey, it' not you I don't trust, its him. Colin's a nice kid and all but he's still a guy and you're a girl and I know how guys think., Teenage boys have severe ADD and it revolves around sex."

"Dad, I'm not going to do him. It's just a movie and dinner."

"'Do' him? Please don't say things like that. At least not in front of me." his face scrunched up losing a shade of color Katie thought he might actually puke on her white carpet . She lets out a tiny laugh "Sorry." she said not sounding apologetic at all she was enjoying his pain. Eliot bit down on a growl. Katie continued on non plussed

"So you're saying he doesn't really like me he just wants to have sex."

"No, I'm sure he likes you, he's faced me. It's just as much as he likes you I can almost bet he likes your boobs just as much!" "Dad!" Katie said eyes growing size as she hit him with her book.

"Just Sayin' I was sixteen once, I remember. Boys think about three things on a loop." He lifted his hand, ticking them off on his fingers, " Sleeping, Sex, and Food."

"So it's I wanna take a nap, wonder what mom's making for dinner? Ooh boobs!" Katie asked laughing.

"Pretty much. Boy's brains function like squirrels on crack."

"Sorry I overreacted earlier. Can I go if I promise to wear my ear bud?" She rolls over on to her back now looking up into his upside down face. Hope ringing in her tone.

"Gimmie a little bit to get used to the idea. What you want for dinner?"

"Lasagna?"

"Sounds good to me. Finish you're Lit paper."

-/-

When he came to tell her dinner was ready, she was tilted back in her chair, ankles crossed, legs stretched out in front of her. She wore a scowl on her face as she read Flowers for Algernon, twirling a pen between her fingers.

"That's a serious face you got goin' there baby, problem?" he asked strolling in. He turned to face her mirroring her pose only standing. legs stretched out in front of him crossed at his ankles he leans on the desk, gripping the white washed oak as if it would give him support for what he's about to say.

"This book., Its cruel and unfair to open up the world to the guy just to yank it all away. It made me cry….and I don't see why Aunt Parker likes it so much."

"The world aint fair baby and Parker likes it because on some level she relates… her world got a lot bigger when we formed the team."

"I know the world isn't always a nice place dad, I've been kidnapped and became motherless all before my tenth birthday and was raised by well meaning thieves so trust me I get that the world isn't a perfect place and it all makes you paranoid," she sat the book down crossing her arms looking at him in that unflinching way she gets from Eliot would smile but doesn't have it in him just now. "but you've done a good job, Dad. I'm a whole person who knows herself and always feels secure in her place." She says trying to make the point that he's made sure the dark world he lived in isn't so for her.. "You and Aunt Jodi changed it for me and Xander – She said referring to her actual aunt and cousin.- made the tree grow right as nana says you don't always have to worry. I'm gonna be ok Daddy. The whole world isn't always out to get us. Sometimes, yeah, but not always."

"Pssh, I know that! I'm not paranoid I'm …protective."

"You say tomato…" she teased.

"Smart ass, dinner is ready and." He paused, a little pained by his next words, " You can go as long as you're in by curfew, Colin comes to the door and you wear your ear bud."

"Thanks Dad," she grinned. "Let me put my stuff up and I'll be in for dinner in a second."

"You're welcome baby." As he stood by her closed door and listened as she squealed, imagining her doing a happy dance and smiled.

"What?" Parker asked upon seeing his face and busied herself with the pink tulips she'd put in the center of the table.

"Nothing, sometimes it's really easy to make the monkey happy that's all." He motioned toward the table, "I like the flowers."

"Stole them out of Mrs. Dean's garden across the street."

-/-

Katie came out for her date dressed in a strapless zebra print mini dress.

"Uh no… turn your pretty little self around and go change." Eliot took a pull from his beer and tried staring her into submission-

"But Tata Soph said I looked nice." She said smiling sweetly.

"And you do. But you're not twenty five or going to the opera so you're not leaving the house dressed like that. It's a movie and dinner at Applebee's. Tthat is entirely too much skin for Applebee's." groaning her displeasure Katie flounced off to change

She returned in a purple long sleeved off the shoulder top, dark jeans and silver shimmery flats. Her dark hair curled softly falling on her shoulders her makeup was light and barely noticeable just the way Sophie had taught her.

"That's better you look very pretty Katie Beth,"

"You're sayin' that because you're my Daddy and you have too." And there was Parker in the way her eyebrows wing up at him in defiance and there's Tana in the tilt of her head.

"Wrong." There was a knock at the door and he saw Sophie in the gracefully clipped way she moved toward it. She swung the door open and he saw her eyes light at the sight of Colin. He saw himself in that look, the hopeful unguarded quick to love look he'd given Aimee and he knew she'd fall hard and fast. - . For what seemed like the thousandth time he finds found himself wishing she wasn't so very like him. Katie sent him an impatient look over her shoulder and he promptly got to his feet and ddid his best to look intimidating. For the lanky kid with strawbeery blond mop of curly hair and green eyes that light up whenever they touch on Katie .And if Parker pinching his side was any indication, he was over doing it. He better back off no need to make the kid piss himself.

-/-

Katie was nervous as she climbed into Colin's truck, sitting in the worn leather seat. She inhaled and smells cheap cologne and gasoline and as Colin walked around to get in on his side she surreptitiously engaged her ear bud.

"And there's the ninja now." She heard Hardison announce.

"Ok give me your bud she turned hers on like a good girl, you will not eavesdrop." That was Parker and Katie smirked as she imagined Parker holding out her hand to her dad.

"I will do no such thing Parker." He growled. "My baby my rules.," "Trust Eliot…remember to trust,." Sophie's soft voice sounded in Katie's ear and she heard one last growl from her father and then nothing and she guessed he caved.

The conversation is easy with Colin over dinner, even with three other voices in her head. In the darkened movie theatre his arm experimentally wrapped around her and she found herself cuddling into him, enjoying his scent of axe cologne and letterman jacket leather. After a few moments, she wordlessly reached up and turned of f her ear bud.. Colin didn't know five people talked inside her head on a regular basis and she wanted to keep it that way, besides the feedback from the movie speakers was nearly making her deaf . She could only hope her dad didn't get too mad

-/-

When Katie Beth went off the grid Hardison's stomach droped. Partially because he was scared for her, you don't grow up in foster care and not see bad things, not everyone was like his Nana. The other part of the fear was that Eliot was going to lose his ever lovin' mind when he found out.

"Uh, I just lost Katie."

"What do you mean you lost her?" Eliot asked in his calm 'I will kill you' voice and Hardison shivered.

"I mean her frequency dropped off."

"Well get it back!" Eliot yelled.

"I can't… it was manually shut down. Either Lil' Mama shut it down herself or something happened to her."

"Damn it Hardison!"

"I didn't do it what you Damniting at me for?" –Great line!-

"Get up!" Eliot commanded –Hardison-. "Parker! I'm going after Katie, Hardison lost her. You comin'?"

"Wait, if we're tracking her down her I say we use something she or her possible kiddnappers won't recognize lets use the bug I bought for last month's job." Parker Said.

-/-

Eliot hated tiny cars and Katie knew it …. Once he found her…if he found her…Colin could be a teenaged axe murder for all he knew…

Parker looked over at him. "She's ok, you know…you're overreacting but that's ok…"

"Yeah I ran a background check…Colin was clean." Hardison stated

"That doesn't mean anything. She could have gotten mugged or taken again… why wasn't she wearing her damn trackers?"

"They hurt your feet in flats, baby." Parker whipped into the movie parking lot and Hardison squeaked. Eliot didn't even register her erratic driving, which showed. how distracted he was. After ten minutes of searching they found Colin's truck and. He could breathe a little easier, but not by much.

He got out of the car and strode straight into the theater, breezing past the pimply faced kid who insisted he needed a ticket.

"Do I look like I care?" he griped at the kid. He found the correct theatre and when he s entered he instantly realized why Katie's Comm. was off, the feedback was a bitch.

Still, that did little to quell his anger as he continued his journey to find his daughter. She'd just scared the shit out of him needlessly and she was gonna hear about it, date or not. Parker caught his arm and pulled him back and if he hadn't known her so well or been her bed partner for so many years he would have been surprised by her strength.

"Sit down shut up and do not move from this seat." She orders him, shoving him down into a seat. She smiles at the old blue hair staring at them and turns back to him. "You will not ruin this for her Eliot I won't let you."

"Popcorn?" Hardison offers plopping down beside them. "By the way I technically just took you two on a date…that kid's persistent."

As Eliot watched them all cuddled close and whispering to each other he feels a little guilty he should have trusted her more but when you've seen the thing he'd like that child prostitution ring in Cambodia, he has a harder time remembering that a simple movie date really is as innocent as it seems.

Katie gets up to go the bathroom if she sees them she doesn't let on, Parker gets up to follow.

Parker comes back and grabs his sleeve pulling up. "We're leaving." Parker says. Eliot just scowls at her. "She's going to turn it back on when they leave the movie and they are having dessert at PJ Licks and coming home." She yanks Eliot to his feet.

"I was just getting into the movie woman." Hardison gripes but abandons his popcorn to follow.

-/-

Awhile later their chatter filters over Hardison's laptop flowing through the surround sound in the apartment and he screens most of it out to give his girl a little privacy.

"My dad's gelato is better," and Eliot smiles from his lounged position on the couch. "See that she loves you after all." Parker said crawling over him to join him on the couch. Hardison sat on the floor at their feet playing war craft. Sophie was puttering around the kitchen had already gone to bed.

"Really?" Colin asked.

"Yeah, He makes it homemade. Every country he's been to he learns to make their landmark foods. Me I can't even boil water."

"But you do other things real well… like cheering; you're the loudest girl on the whole squad." "He's flirting with her." Eliot grumbled.

"You just like to watch my skirt fly up on my tumbling passes Colin." She teases.

"Well that too but you still put Lacy Aldridge to shame."

"Thanks, I don't like her she's snooty. My Uncle Nate says you gotta be loud to get heard in our family I just put it to use."

"I like your family but your dad is scary."

"I think he was born scary." Katie says with a laugh

-/-

Thirty Minutes later…

"Well I had real nice time Colin…" they hear the door buzzing and everyone moves to the window to watch the teenagers at street level.

"Me too. You wanna go to dinner after the game Friday?" he said nervously.

"Sure I'd like that." He leans forward and so do all the adults watching from above.

"Stop spying on her and move away from the window all of you." Sophie admonishes shooing them away.

-/-

She's scared and excited and her palms are sweating as he leans forward. She doesn't really know what to do with her hands so leaves them at her sides. When his lips touch hers she's surprised at how soft they are, she can hear own blood pumping in her ears and wonders for one wild moment if the comms are picking it up. She kisses him back and the kiss deepens for a few seconds and then it's over he's backing away. She's a little sad at how quick it ends but for her very first kiss it was certainly nice.

"Goodnight Katie." He says.

"Goodnight." She turns

"Oh I'm still going to walk you up…I just… didn't want…in front of your dad and all that."

She smiles. "Trust me I get it."

-/-

"Did you have a nice night Darling?" Sophie asked.

"I really did…Well I'm going to turn in, night all." She turned toward the entrance to the Spencer home that ran through Nate's place.

"Night Monkey."

"Oh Daddy! I almost forgot to ask, did you enjoy the movie?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Eliot didn't even look up from his book, in full 'denial' mode.

"Oh well guess it wasn't you then, night I love you."

"Love you too."

"By the way Aunt Parker,?"

"Yeah…"

"Thanks for the breath strips, without them I'd of been all garlic breathy and not kissed him." She smiled to herself and strolled off to bed.


	9. Shadows Of The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot is afraid his past is going to come back to bite him deadly ways.

id:6021411 

 

Hi Readers, 

I'm back. Just a few notes before you read on. This contains spoiers for season 3 finale. I obviously own nothing. Also, my cowriter vanished so if any of you would like to work with me shoot me a PM. I made a KB verse fanmix for my leverageland big bang anybody wants a copy hit me up and i'll give you the link. Send me prompts please. Thanks to the best beta ever Fleur. Also I took first in the ff dot net leverage fanfic awards for best Eiiot/Parker for MMJ so thanks to all of you who voted. Enough rambling!

 

Just when Eliot thinks he's changed enough, earned his redemption, Damien Moreau pops back up like an evil well-mannered metrosexualghost of crimes past. Eliot feels the hungry ache of guilt return and it's hard to look the others, and his child, in the eye.

The feelers Eliot put out have finally caught something. He knows where Moreau is, he just doesn't know what it will entail. He gets the call in the early morning. He answers in a calm voice. "Spencer. Go."

"Moreau is coming to an auction in Washington Friday." He sits up and tries to slide from Parker's grasp gently. Luckily, she doesn't wake.

"What for? Where?"

"Unknown on both counts."

"Alright thanks, Laswell."

"You owe me."

"Noted." Eliot hangs up. He doesn't even try to go back to sleep. He tucks Parker back under the covers and goes to fix breakfast.

He never makes it to the kitchen. Parker finds him sitting at the end of Katie's bed, watching her sleep.

"Eliot?"

"Parker, I want you to think of the worst possible thing I could ever do, then answer a question for me," he says quietly, barely more than a whisper.

"Okay." He doesn't have to see her perplexed expression to know it's there.

"You imagining it?"

"Hm."

"Now, would you love me anyway?"

"Yes, the worst thing I could imagine you'd never do. You'd never hurt Katie."

"Every person I ever used, hurt, or killed was somebody's Katie."

Parker doesn't know how to respond. He can tell by her shuddery inhale of breath. She steps forward, light on her feet as always. She places her hand on his back and rubs lightly and he fights the urge to curl into the touch like a cat.

"Everyone is entitled to mistakes, even you." she says and walks away.

-/-/-/-

That night at dinner Katie knows something is up. Eliot can tell by the wary expression on her face, the one he usually sees after he's left her. If he had any doubts, what she says next crushes them to dust.

"What's wrong?" Her brow quirks.

Eliot shrugs and stabs a little violently at his salad. "Nothing, What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You are stabbing your salad, you made spaghetti and Parker kissed my head this morning and you're the only person she kisses since you're her boyfriend."

He shifts his eyes over to Parker who looks irritated. Whether it's the boyfriend label or being called on the rare affections she gives to Katie, he can't tell.

"He was being weird this morning and I kissed you because I love you."

"See weirdness! I love you too, by the way." Katie says in the off-handed way she gets from Eliot. It makes him smile.

"We have a big job coming, that's all. You're going to stay with Cora." Eliot sees she's starting to panic. They don't leave her often, a day maybe two at the longest. Eliot thinks Tana gave her abandonment issues.

"We're all gonna come back. So you don't have to worry, ok?"

"You swear?"

"I swear, Monkey. Now eat."

"Can I tend bar with Cora?"

Eliot pretends to consider it. "How old are you again?"

"Seven."

"Oh that's right I forget, uh no you can't. You don't meet the age requirement and your Nana would skin me alive."

"Are you afraid of Nana?"

"Try terrified." This makes Parker snicker and Katie smile.

-/-/-/-

The rest of the team is busy preparing for the early morning flight to San Lorenzo. They'd made it back from DC in time for him to put Katie Beth to bed.

He shot people today, bad people as Katie would say, but all he wants to do is hold his child.

So he sits on the couch and she's asleep in his lap. He kisses her cheek.

"Stop that, you'll wake her." Sophie's soft British lilt comes from behind him.

"Taking lessons from Parker?" He asks as she moves into his line of vision.

"They're worried…" She sits primly on the edge of the coffee table.

"They should be. Moreau's no boy scout, Soph. He's a sociopath in Armani."

"You're scared."

"Damn straight. He knows me, what buttons to push. Katie Beth is not to be one of them."

"Bonanno will be guarding her 'til we get back."

"If we don't…" He cleared his throat. "Today was a close call, so if I don't make it back, there's a one way ticket to Kentucky and a letter for Katie Beth in the safe behind the portrait of Katie and Wicket in my bedroom. Parker has the combination. It's Katie's social security number."

"Eliot…"

"Just say you understand, Soph, or don't say anything."

"I understand."

"Thank you."

-/-/-/-

The plane leaves at first light so Katie is barely conscious when Eliot hands her over to Cora. He prefers it that way, it's less likely to get emotional. Whether he means him or her, he can't really tell you. He gives her to Cora and finds her hand is snagged in his hair. Like a spider monkey holding its perch. He gingerly removes her hand kissing it, he murmurs. "Be back baby, love you. Bye."

"Love you too daddy bye…"

Hardison strokes her hair. "See ya, baby ninja."

"Kay, I'll DVR Doctor Who for you."

"Thanks."

Parker kisses her and pins Cora with a look. "That's mine and you will return her when you're done."

Cora nods resolutely.

"All her outfits are coordinated and organized in the suitcase…" Sophie rambles.

Katie yawns and opens her eyes. "I'll wear mismatched socks to spite you…"

Sophie kisses her, muttering about Parker's influence.

Nate steps forward and kisses her forehead. "Have fun with Cora, kiddo, love you."

"Love you too, Uncle Nate."

-/-/-/-

They are in the air on the way back when Eliot says what Parker knows has been bothering him all morning.

His head is kicked back and his eyes are closed, but he's absentmindedly playing with her hand. Its soothing and rare, but Parker likes it.

"When you'd asked me what I'd done, I wasn't mad, I was ashamed. If I love you, and I felt that much shame, how the hell am I supposed to tell her, Parker?"

"Maybe she won't ask. I mean, I misread the moment and thought I should ask, that maybe you needed to get it off your chest."

"What do I tell her when she asks? We both know she will."

"You tell her the truth, Eliot, because she'll see it and know that you are not your past. It's part not the whole. She loves you. That makes all the difference. Trust it."

"For the record, whether or not any of us ever know your secrets, I'll still love you anyway."

"Thanks, Parker, I love you too."

"That's the first time you've actually said that." He looks over at her. "Really?"

"Unless you count the 'Parker I- you know I right?"

He smirks "Well you got the point didn't ya?"

"I'm sleeping on you so no grumbling me awake." She shifts and is practically in his lap but he doesn't mind.

-/-/-/-

He's outside the school waiting when it lets out. She runs up gives him a hug.

"You make better lunches than Cora but she did let me make Shirley Temples for the whole bar so whatever… did you finish the job?"

"We did missed you though."

"Missed you too. Hi Daddy." She kisses his cheek.

"Hi Katie Beth, less time with Parker. You're having conversations out of order again."

"Did you bring her?"

"In the godforsaken van with Hardison. It's ice cream Wednesday, you ready?"

"Born that way…"

"Snarky Brat."

"You know you love me." she says walking away.

He catches her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. "I do, Very much."


	10. Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sterling finally answers for kidnapping Katie. Sort of....

AN: Spoilers for the queen's gambit job. In short Eliot wants answers. It ties into Rise And Rise Again. I only own KB!

 

Nate's warnings to leave Sterling alone fell on four sets of deaf ears. They would all gladly deal with his half hearted wrath. Hardison typed hastily away at his keyboard.

Parker sat curled into Eliot's tensed side. Katie lay in the floor ankles crossed one over the other as she read a baby sisters club book.

"And I've got him..." Hardison says spinning around his chair.

"Where?" Sophie asked sitting a mug of hot chocolate down next to Katie.

"One fifteen Holmby Avenue. A townhouse in downtown Boston." Hardison replied.

"This is just too easy, I don't trust it." Parker said.

"Oh he'll have guards if he's smart." Eliot grin was razor sharp at the thought of an impending battle.

"Who are you going after now?" Katie Beth asked never taking her off the book she was so deeply involved in.

"An old enemy who deserves a little pay back." Eliot muttered. Then in a louder voice "Finish that chapter then its bed time." He finished.

For a moment he thought she would protest but she didn't just took a sip of her cocoa and said "Okay."

-/-/-/-

He tucks her in sits at the end of her bed to brood as she slept. Eliot really didn't understand Sterling's motives. How can you literally steal another mans daughter when you have on of your own? Eliot may never really know but there's a part of him that hopes Sterling's ambitions eat him alive one day.

He gets up and walks out leaving the door cracked slightly behind him.

"She's out and should be fine just listen for her." he tells Sophie whose sitting on his couch watching the episodes of Iron chef he'd recorded.

Sophie twists around to face him. "Don't do anything brash Eliot." Sophie warns her brow quirking tensely.

Eliot grins slyly. "Me? Brash? Never."

"Eliot." Sophie warned.

He sighed. "He's got a kid I'm not going to kill him despite how satisfying it may be. I'll keep his child in my thoughts, unlike Sterling I will not terrorize her by association." he grunted and stomped away.

\- /-/-/-

They are stand on the cobble stone street in front of Sterling's townhouse. The cobble stones coated slightly by earlier rainfall gave the stones a glossy sheen.

It's a two story brick structure with bay windows stacked one on top of the other.

Parker's eyes light up with potential. Before Eliot can voice any objects she's swinging up into a tall oak to the right of the top window. She moves with the quiet grace of a spider on to the window sill. She stands on the narrow edge and picks the lock. She swings softly onto tan carpet.

Sticking her head out the open window she mouths at Eliot to meet her at the front door. She takes a quick look around and sees a huge white canopy bed with pink bedding.

Thanks to the brightness of the moonlight she can see Kelly green walls and a girl shaped lump in the center of the bed. She holds her breath and moves as silently as possible out of the room.

She can hear the guard snoring from the top of the stairs. The fourth stair from the bottom creaks loudly. She cringes waits. The guard snuffles but doesn't wake.

"Hardison deactivate the alarm." She breathes out.

"Done mama." Rings in her ear.

She can almost touch the door knob when the guard wakes. She waits until he's an arms length away then tases him on the high setting. He slumps unconscious. She twists the knob and lets Eliot in. "Hi Sparky!" She greets.

-/-/-/-

Eliot growls for two reasons. The girl can be quiet only when she wants too. Two, they've been over the whole "Sparky" thing at least ten times.

"I zapped the only guard sorry." she tells him.

"Damn it Parker." he frowned at having a fight taken from him.

"Which way?" he asked.

"The girl's in the center room second floor, I'll take the left you the right. The fourth stairs squeaks." He follows Parker up all bouncy hurried steps and blonde hair.

-/-/-/-/-

The room he finds is pitch black. He waits and lets his eyes adjust Sterling is asleep on his side using his bicep as a pillow. He steps forward without really planning his next as action.

His hand finds his way around Sterling's throat. He squeezes. Sterling's eyes pop open. "Hi." he greets.

He thrashes around Eliot gives a warning squeeze. "Careful now, don't want to wake your kid do you?" Sterling manages to shake his head no.

"Good. You terrified my child when you took her, she had nightmares and followed me like a damn shadow for a month and a half." anger lit his eyes.

He squeezed a little Sterling wheezed. "I wouldn't want to do that too your kid." The I'm better than you goes unspoken. Sterling's going a little red and Eliot needs a promise out of him before he faints so he lets go.

"Make any moves or noise I'll end you. You got me?" Sterling nods.

"I want to know why you took my child and had us save yours?" Eliot asked.

"If you could save yours I knew you were capable of saving Olivia and besides that she's the only true weakness the team has I'd be stupid not use it to my advantage." Eliot reared back and punched him.

"You egotistical selfish asshole. Katie was your goddamned dry run?"

"In some ways." Eliot fists clenched but he doesn't throw another punch.

"I want something from you. You'd be wise to give it to me." Eliot states. There's a silent pause.

"I don't expect you or old enemies to stop chasing us, I'm not stupid. If or when we go down for something I need you to use your Interpol connections to get her safely to my sister in Lexington, Kentucky her name is Jodi Albright. You are not to bother her unless I'm locked up is that clear?"

"That's all you want? Really?" Sterling says disbelievingly.

"I'd do anything for her. To keep her safe. Even trust you."

"Alright. I'll do it should you need it." Eliot nods and turns to lave finding Parker behind him. He hadn't heard her. Which is relatively normal.

They both go out the way they came in.

-/-/-/-/-

The next morning he gets a "what do you all do?" Text from Nate. He grins and ignores it. He fixes Katie breakfast and sends her off to school. No one says anything about their secret ops mission during the briefing. All in all its shaping up to me a good day in Eliot Spencer's little piece of the world.


	11. Mama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First Words

Title: Mama!  
Pairing: None  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Mama, Ages: newborn, 10 months,

Word Count: 259

Eliot brings her home and to say he is uneasy is putting it mildly. He is to both mother and father to Katie Beth.

He's staying with his mother for the first month and consistently shouts for her help.

"Mom! Mom! She's making a face. "He shouts staring down at his daughter.

"Babies make faces Eli, Is she crying?"

"Well no, but I need to be able to differentiate faces and cries." His mother walks in calmly wiping her hands on a dishtowel she peers down.

"That face means she has gas." And she walks out.

A few hours later.  
Eliot hears a squelching sound and feels something warm. Then the wall of stench hits him.

"Mom she exploded! "All he gets in return is a gleeful laugh.

"Bad Katherine! Bad!" he tells his daughter as he goes to change her.

"I'm never having sex again." He adds in a grumble.

A few months later his anxieties have passed and they are living on their own in Costa Mesa.

He's sitting on the couch with baby resting on his up drawn knees.

"Can you say Daddy Katie Beth?" he asks grinning at her. "Come on say Dada!"

"Mama!"

"No I'm Dada."

"Mama!"

"You have one of those Darlin' I just don't know where she is." He kissed her forehead. "You said it last week little lady."

"Mama!"

Eliot sighs. "Yep that's me." He kisses her again. "You're lucky I love you so much kid!" Katie tugs at his hair and coos he takes it as "I love you too!"


	12. Prompt-A-Palooza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> multiple one word prompts + Halloween and Birds & Bees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but Katie

Sleep- He knows his mother is right and not just because she always is but because Katie has to learn to self soothe and fall asleep. So here he sits outside her door, waiting as she cries her little heart out.

"Dada!" she sobs.

"I'm here Darlin'." He dials his mother's number. "That's it mama I'm going in." he says before she can even greet him.

"Five more minutes Eli. You can do it son."

Katie cries harder choking on her tears. "Dada!" Eliot knows logically exhaustion has to win out at some point but this feels cruel. Katie is so very stubborn this could take hours.

"This is torture mom. I feel like a terrible father. Had they used this technique in Cambodia I'd of cracked."

"Two more minutes."

"I hate this cry it out thing. I'm just going to let her sleep with me til she's like thirty okay?"

His mother laughed. "Eli? You can go in now."

He drops the phone and rushes in and picks up Katie. He soothes away the tears and her breath hitches in out as she calms down. He knows he's supposed to put her back down after five minutes but he can't. He holds her close to his chest and she rubs her snotty nose into his shirt. Okay he kinda deserves that.

He carries her into his bedroom and lays down. He fixes the pillows so she can't roll off the bed. She turns on her side and reaches for his hair.

"Alright Miss Katie Beth, no telling Nana I caved….again." he pats her diaper clad butt and kisses her chubby little arm that's draped across his throat as she plays with the ends of his hair.

"Night baby," he tells her. He reaches up and turns off the lights. "We'll try again tomorrow night." He leans over and kisses Katie again soon they are both asleep.

 

Grump- Hardison picks up the bowl of candy when he hears the knock on the door. He opens it and immediately starts laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" At first Katie is perplexed and then irritated. "I thought I made a good Snow White."

After a few deep breaths Hardison is able to rein in his laughter to snickers. "You do Baby Ninja, your dad as grumpy the draw? Very nice touch."

He looks over at a rather perturbed looking Eliot dressed in full dwarf garb. "Can it Hardison!" he groused.

"Where's Parker?" Just then the thief zips over Katie and Eliot's heads and lands next to Katie. She's dressed as Tinkerbelle.

"You're in the wrong movie parker." He points out.

"Don't bother I already tried." Eliot said.

"I rigged my zip line through the whole building so I can fly from apartment to apartment."

Before Hardison can worry about damage to his building Parker and Katie say, "Trick or Treat" in unison. What else can he do but give them candy.

 

Happiness- Eliot tries not to be happy, he sure as hell doesn't deserve happiness not with all the sin and death he's left in his path but… as he leans on the crib and watch his baby girl sleep he knows that's what he's found.

That's what she'd given him. With her smiles and laughter. Loving him simply because he's Daddy. She's happy to see him every single day. There's no pain her eyes like when Mama looks at him or accusation like when Aimee glares at him. There's no fear mirrored back at him like he sees in the gaze of every mark and victim.

Just joy. Because he makes airplane noises when he feeds her and knows all her ticklish spots and a million other things. He's loved for who he is not shamed for what he's done.

Her joy and happiness has seeped into him and he may not deserve it but he'll take it.

 

"Good night my happy girl." He whispers into the silence and leaves her to her dreams.

Sneeze- After three straight days of sneezing watery eyes and an upset stomach from drainage he hears a tell-tell meow. He follows the sound to his six year Old's bed room. He peers in the cracked door to see his little girl feeding a white kitten bits of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich from lunch.

He nudges the door open. "Katherine Elizabeth, do you maybe have something to tell me? Like, hey daddy I snuck a kitty into the house." Katie looks up guiltily cradling the kitten.

"I found her in the storm drain thingy…she doesn't have a mama just like me. I'll be her mama."

"You have a mama baby, just a flaky one. I'm allergic to cats Katie."

"What's lergic?"

He feels it coming but can't stop it he sneezes three times in a row. "They make me sneeze, a lot."

"I like Glory." Katie says. Great she's attached. "I'll take allergy shots you can keep her. A couple things, no bringing home more strays, no feeding her human food, no more playing in storm drains and keep Ruffian from eating her.

"Ok. Thanks daddy."

"You're" he sneezed "welcome."

 

Doctor- He hears a blood curdling scream and goes to run from the kitchen and sees parker in the door way cradling his five year old in his arms.

"She fell skateboarding and skinned herself up pretty good. Thanks for telling me the sight of blood terrifies her sparky."

"Not blood in general just her own." He walks over. "Katie…" the crying and wailing continues. "Katherine." He says calmly. That gets her attention. "I need you to be a big girl and calm down for me okay?"

"I'm gonna die aren't I?" he smiles at his daughters antics. "No baby. You just scraped your knees." He takes her from Parker who hovers next to them. He sits her on the counter and gets the first aid kit and takes out what he needs.

Katie eyes the peroxide bottle warily. "That is gonna burn."

"It might sting but I promise to be done by the time you're done singing "I told the witch doctor."

"Nuh- uh."

"Bet me!"

"Wanna hold my hand?" Parker asked and Katie took her hand.

"Ready? Start singing."

"I told the witch doctor I was in love with you." She sings and he begins cleaning the cuts to her knees.

"And..." He prompts reaching for another squab.

"And then the witch doctor he told me what to do!"

"What'd he say? This is just Neosporin baby, it won't hurt."

"He said ooh e ohh aww aww ting tang walla Walla Bing bang." Katie and parker sing the last verse over again.

"Snoopy, Hannah Montana or boring flesh colored band aid's?" he asks.

"Hannah!"

He smiles when he hears Parker start the band aid jungle under her breath. "Nice choice."

He puts the band aids in places and kisses the spots for good measure "All done baby girl. See that wasn't so bad was it?"

"No but I want need pads for next time." He laughs. "Okay."

 

Clumsy- Eliot Spencer's kid is not is supposed to be clumsy but she really, really is. She trips and falls and runs into shit. His mama says it's the age and the whole new to walking thing that's getting her caught up so often, he's tempted to just wrap the girl in bubble wrap and be done with it.

That night at dinner she walks into the corner of the coffee table especially hard, the wail she works up is half frustration and half pain and is extremely loud. He rubs the red spot on her forehead. "You're ok Monkey no blood." She glares at him and screams.

Then it it's him….he walks into the wall and falls down dramatically. "Oops, didn't see that wall there Katie girl."

She giggles. "More!" and daughter is a sadist as well as clumsy.

He gets up and ends up doing it three more times. That's how the game of clumsy daddy is born. He's going to be substantially bruised and battered by the time she hits eighteen.

 

Snow- Eliot really doesn't want to have this conversation with her. In fact he'd rather have bamboo shoots shoved under his nails but she's his daughter, so it's his responsibility not Parker's or Sophie's.

So it's time to have "The talk".

He walks into the living room to see his daughter curled on the couch watching a one tree Hill rerun. He grabs the remote and turns off the ongoing Brooke-Lucas Peyton drama.

"Uh! Daddy!" Katie cries in annoyance,

"We're going outside into the sun to get sno cones!"

"But my show!"

"I'm not raising a couch potato. Get up." She gets to her feet huffily and slips on her shoes.

They stand next to the Sno cone truck deciding what to order when she pins him with a look.

"Alright Dad, what is it? You have that constipated look you get when you have something to say but don't want to talk. " he suddenly finds himself wishing time would reverse itself and go back to times of pigtails and innocence and not sex talks and his entirely to smart and observant sixteen year old.

"Um." Eliot stumbles.

"Is Parker pregnant?" Katie asks perfectly serious leaving Eliot to choke on air. She smiles mischievously.

"That's not funny…once was enough for me thanks, not that- you're a great kid and I wouldn't change it but I wouldn't do it again at least not with the life we live…"

"Uh okay I was joking."

I know they step up and order their sno cones. Katie gets the standard classic of blue coconut. He gets tiger blood and sincerely hopes it has nothing to do with Charlie Sheen.

They walk for a bit eating in silence. She sticks her tongue out at him. "Am I blue yet?"

"Yeah." He grins some innocence is still there.

"Listen Katie I know that you know how the reproductive system works so were going to skip that part. I know most kids your age think sex is one body part going into another but it's-"

She stops in the middle of the side walk. "I do not want to have this conversation with you!" She shakes her head. "Nuh- uh nope not happening." She starts to walk away.

"I don't want to either but we gotta ok?"

She catches her wrist and turns her to face him. "I'm not even having sex." She whines.

"And I'm glad but I'm not delusional enough to think it will stay that way. You are young and beautiful and boys can be persuasive. I need to know that I've prepared you the best I can despite whatever bad relationship examples I may have set with your mother and Parker."

"Okay."

"First of all in a perfect world sex is meant for people in love and who married but that doesn't always happen and you won't upset me if you don't wait til marriage. The love part is important though because you are sharing something scared and personal with another person. It makes you vulnerable to them. You don't want to give something like that to someone who won't value you it. Be sure baby, dead sure because you can't get it back once it's done."

"I love Colin." She says defiantly.

"I'm sure you think you do baby, that's why I want you to wait because boys don't think of sex the way girls do for them sometimes it really is just whatever feels good at the time. If you do have sex though? Just because you do it in one relationship doesn't mean you should or have to do it with the next person or that you have to continue doing it with whoever you are with. If you feel pressured or uncomfortable or it just stops being pleasurable then you can stop at any time. Being with you should be their privilege not a right understand?"

"Yes, anything else?"

"I would rather you wait until like I'm dead or in college at least to have sex but if not always make the boy use a condom it takes like five seconds to put on. If it tells you he can't feel with it on he's lying to you and he's lazy. Don't sleep with a lazy liar."

"No condom no sex got it."

"If you want I'll take you to get birth control because if you have a baby you'll take responsibility not the guy."

"That's about the only thing of value teen mom teaches you." Katie smirked,

"Jesus quit watching that crap."

"You know dad, this was awkward and all kinds of gross and even though I never want to hear you say the word pleasurable again and I'll never look at sno cones the same again you did good,"

He looped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "Thanks kid."

"Did you practice that in the mirror?"

"No but I did steal parts of it from Friday Night Lights."

 

Bash- He hears a rusty clanging smacking sound as he climbs the stairs to his rooftop garden. He hears Katie chanting "Die fucker die!" when he makes to the doorway he sees Katie standing feet apart repeatedly bashing a very much dead garden snake to bits with a shovel. He laughs he can't help it.

He steps over and takes the shovel from the teenagers shaking hands. "It's dead monkey. I promise."

"I- I don't like snakes."

"I gathered that."

"Just making sure."

Eliot laughs. "It's a garden snake not Jesus Christ. His name was Juan I put him here to eat bugs."

"Oops sorry Dad."

Grim-"Daddy?"

"What baby?" he continued his chopping of veggies for stir fry. "What's that?" he looks up at the television and his six year old peering over the back of the couch. He sees a cartoon grim reaper on TV.

"What are you watching?"

"Coyote and roadrunner what is that?"

"The grim reaper it's a representation of death or what some people think death looks like."

"What do you think death looks like?"

"Nothing really because it's not a person it's something that happens to you."

"Where do you go when you die?"

"Heaven, you know that."

"Who takes you there?"

"I think angels do."

"If you go to heaven before me will you bring me?"

"You think I'll let some silly angel bring you to heaven without me? What kind of retrieval specialist would I be if I let someone else go get my favorite thing in the whole wide world?"

"Good. I don't want to be in heaven without you."

"I agree baby, my heaven wouldn't be heaven without you. Can you set the table I've had enough existential conversation for one night."

"Sure."


	13. Aimee Meets Katie Beth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nada but KB!

Aimee Martin walks up the gravel drive of Spencer farms. Toys are strewn about the yard of the large farmhouse belonging to Eliot's mother Katherine and late father Abram.

She mounts the stairs of the wide porch and sees a girl's tea set sitting on a table in front of the porch swing. Dolls and bears surrounding it.

That's odd surely Xander doesn't have tea parties.

She goes to knock on the door and it opens before she can. Eliot is on the other side and heart freezes mid beat and something in her gut flames, desire or warning she can't tell a difference.

"Aimee…" He murmurs. He's holding a little bowl of sugar and she wants to ask why or what it's for but she can't make herself speak.

Someone pushes against Eliot trying to force him out the door. The person huffs, and mutters, "Move Daddy!" in a tone that denotes irritation. Her brain is stuck on one word. Daddy.

Before she can catch up a dark pigtailed head pops around Eliot's side. Big innocent blue eyes peer out of a face matching Eliot's to an unnerving tee.

The girl watches speculatively between them. "Who's this?" the nameless girl asks.

Eliot clears his throat and seems to come out of his surprised stupor. "Baby, this is Aimee. An old friend of mine. Aimee this is my daughter Katie."

Eliot kicks into gear and moves from the door to sit the sugar bowl down on the table. "I'll be right back Katie Beth don't start without me."

He turns back to Aimee. "Come in please, Wait is everything ok?"

"Fine, I just need a recipe from your mom."

He nods and they go in.

"Mom will be right back she took my… she took Parker to the store."

Eliot begins to cut lemons in the kitchen. Decidedly avoiding her gaze. "You have a child?"

He nods. "You just met her Aimee." He smirks.

"That's not what I meant; I mean who does she belong to? Why, you said you didn't' want kids."

"I didn't until I had her and her mother is a junky I retrieved seven years ago…"

"Retrieved?"

"Come on Aims don't pretend you don't know what I do." He let out a weary breath

"She's six and no one thought to tell me, hey Eliot has a kid."

"I didn't tell anyone back home besides my family because I'm not here enough for it to matter. Besides, it's not like we were together. You got married and I became a father."

"Daddy…"

"I'm coming baby, be patient." He hollers toward the door.

"I'm not good at patience."

"I'm aware Katie Beth." He adds smiling.

Aimee turns to watch the girl out of the kitchen window.

"She's beautiful, is she very much like you?"

"'In some ways yes she has my temperament and quite a bit of my personality. She talks a lot more than I do. She's smart and funny." Aimee hears the pride in the answer.

"A female Eliot spencer, I'd say that's god's way of getting back at you for breaking so many hearts."

"Well she certainly is mine. So I guess you're right in that respect." He puts the lemon wedges in a bowl. "Care to join our tea party?"

"Wait you participate?" She says disbelievingly.

"You tell anyone and I swear I don't care how much I've loved or how long you will die." He threatens teasingly and she laughs.

They had tea and little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and she even managed just barely not to laugh at Eliot's high pitch English lady voice.

When Parker came over and kissed Eliot's cheek and said "Pass me a scone sparky." She decided she'd enough change for one day and decided not ask.

She got the rum cake recipe she came for from Eliot's mom.

"Don't be jealous sweetheart, he's happy." His mother said.

"I'm not …I just wanted that so bad is all."

"I know but he didn't think he could give you all you wanted. On some level he still doesn't trust his right to good things. That's just Eli." She says peering out the window at her son.

She nods. "I better be going." She goes out on the porch again.

"It was great to see you again, and very nice to meet you Katie."

"Aimee I –"Eliot starts.

"It's fine; like I said I'm glad you found your family. I think you're probably a very good father. I'm glad you have her she just might keep you from self-destruction." Parker looks like she wants to say something but Aimee doesn't give her the chance. She walks to her car without a word.

Sometimes it's best to walk away, that's why she did it in the first place. To save herself and Eliot she doesn't begrudge his happiness she just can't take part in it.

Watching from a far is all she can do.


End file.
